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Chapter 44: 

 

Creating Special Effects 

 

Using Layers 

The Layers effect duplicate selected shapes, giving the appearance of several thicknesses. The 
Layers dialog box controls the following terms: 

 

Number of Layers 

 

Spacing (Angle and Depth) 

 

Distance 

 

Application (Composite and Partials) 

 

Relief 

 

Info 

The Info group box lets you enter the Number of Layers desired in the shape (up to 100). 

 

Spacing 

The Spacing group box gives you the choice of entering values for Depth and Angle, or turning 
on Distance and entering values for X and Y. Depth/Angle and Distance X/Y determine the 
placement of the layers. When Distance is turned on, the X and Y text boxes are available. When 
Distance is turned off, the Depth and Angle text boxes are available. 

Summary of Contents for OMEGA CP

Page 1: ...ER P2C ImageRIP Vantage Scan SUPER CMYK Gerber ColorID MacImprint Matched Technology System and ART Path are trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products Adobe Illustrator and Encapsulated PostScript are...

Page 2: ...l resolution Dot structures halftones For optimal results we recommend that the following materials be used 1 3M Scotchcal 220 10 or 225 10 Gloss White Vinyl 2 GerberColor SUPER CMYK Foils THE PANTONE...

Page 3: ...le copies of a file in an open PLT file 18 Opening Gerber Clip Art GCA files 19 Closing files 21 Chapter 4 Saving Files and Viewing Properties 23 Saving PLT files 23 AutoBackup feature 24 Saving a fil...

Page 4: ...hniques for drawing on the work surface 119 Rectangles and squares 119 Circles and ellipses 120 Decorative borders 120 Creating a surround shape 122 Multi sided shapes stars and polygons 124 Adding Ge...

Page 5: ...s 187 Selecting objects of the same vinyl color 189 Chapter 16 Changing Vinyl Colors to Spot Foil Colors 191 Posterizing methods 191 Understanding the Posterize Selected Shapes dialog box 192 Posteriz...

Page 6: ...244 Checking and selecting fills and strokes by color 244 Checking and selecting fills and strokes by color type 245 Checking and selecting fills and strokes by halftone type 245 Checking and selectin...

Page 7: ...er file types 302 Importing Gerber Clip Art GCA file 302 Importing DXF files using the GSP AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Filter 303 Importing AutoCAD Drawing Format DWG files 304 Importing Adobe Acrobat...

Page 8: ...onverting Images to Cut Shapes 361 Converting a color image to a cut shape 361 Converting a black and white image to a cut shape 364 Chapter 33 Adding Cutlines to Artwork 367 Using Generate Decal Cut...

Page 9: ...corners of an object using the Sharp Corner Tool 426 Changing the corners of an object with Fillet Corner 426 Smoothing objects with the Smooth Path tool 428 Freehand Drawing 429 Designate the first...

Page 10: ...sing Contour 494 Using Effects Library 494 Book Ten Repeating Text and Objects 499 Chapter 45 Repeating Objects Text or Shapes 501 Repeating in a line matrix or diagonal pattern 501 Changing the spaci...

Page 11: ...GSPPlot from Windows 606 Closing Windows 606 Exiting GSPPlot 606 Program Information 607 Using the GSPPlot toolbar 607 Viewing the GSPPlot toolbar 607 Chapter 54 Setting Up the GSPPlot Window 609 Dis...

Page 12: ...panel as a separate job 658 Viewing panels 659 Producing a job without gaps between panels 659 Ensuring print to cut registration with paneled jobs 660 Chapter 60 Conserving Vinyl and Foil 661 Rotati...

Page 13: ...and cutting 712 Pausing and restarting a job 713 Displaying plotting information 713 Removing jobs from Gerber Queue Manager 714 Changing the job order 715 Viewing plotter properties in GQMgr 715 View...

Page 14: ...Opening ColorID from Composer 757 Manually entering the color name in Composer 759 Adjusting for material availability 760 Matching and creating colors 760 Chapter 72 Additional ColorID Software Feat...

Page 15: ...tal imaging and vinyl cutting OMEGA CS Cut Solution contains all the tools and features necessary for advanced vinyl design and cutting OMEGA LS Layout System provides design only No output The first...

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Page 17: ...is installed in Microsoft Windows choose Start Programs GSP OMEGA then click an icon in the list to open one of the programs described in the following paragraphs Art Path32 Option creates offset tool...

Page 18: ...u to create and edit vinyl and foil palettes Sentinel Config is used to view and change the settings of your security key README displays the latest information about the current version of OMEGA Revi...

Page 19: ...ity key is removed If the user wishes NOT to go into demo mode they should be sure the security key is properly installed then click NO when prompted by the demo mode message OMEGA will search for the...

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Page 21: ...pts the manual presents information as solutions to design and production problems It is organized as a series of books about specific topics such as Creating the Basic Design Adding Color to the Desi...

Page 22: ...g Accelerator keys are used in conjunction with the Alt Shift and Ctrl key and are identified by being underlined in the command you want For example to open a file with accelerator keys press and hol...

Page 23: ...tware is designed to quickly and easily provide procedures and information for you while you are working There are several ways to open Help topics In a dialog box press F1 to get information about th...

Page 24: ...s under it Finding additional topics in the Topic pane The Topic pane contains three additional navigation tools Clicking on words or phrases that are in green type and underlined displays additional...

Page 25: ...he Topics Found list box and then click Display to open the topic Finding previously viewed topics Click Back in the Help toolbar you sequentially step back through each of the topics you have viewed...

Page 26: ...860 871 3862 e mail gspservice gspinc com Please use a phone that is close to your OMEGA system and have the following information available before calling Microsoft Windows version numbers GSP syste...

Page 27: ...en saved Gerber plot PLT files or any other file type with the Open command in the File menu If you already have a saved file open the Open command opens another file in a new window Embedding images...

Page 28: ...its layers with their existing layer names Clear Keep Layers to ignore the layers and the file opens with a single layer which has the same name as the file To open existing files 1 Click File Open o...

Page 29: ...button in the Import or Open dialog box If you import an existing Gerber plot PLT file the state of images in the file is maintained embedded or linked The Embed Image checkbox in the Open and Import...

Page 30: ...o add a file to an open PLT file 1 Click File Import to open the Import dialog box 2 Choose the file type and the file name 3 By default an image file will be linked Turn on the Embed Images check box...

Page 31: ...File Import to open the Import dialog box 2 Choose the files to import using the Shift click or Ctrl click method The names display in the File Name box surrounded by double quotes 3 By default an im...

Page 32: ...he file controls the location on the work surface A copy of the file is added at the cursor position each time you click the mouse To place multiple copies of a file 1 Click File Import Continuous to...

Page 33: ...rary file at that location Note If the OMEGA Library Pack Password dialog box displays then the GCA file is part of a purchasable OMEGA Library Pack See the link below for instructions on installing t...

Page 34: ...he Import Library dialog box opens 3 Choose the folder and specific GCA file that you wish to purchase and click Import The OMEGA Library Pack Password dialog box displays 4 Enter the password provide...

Page 35: ...es After saving a file close it in File menu To close a file Click File Close Note If you have modified a file but have not saved it before closing a message box appears giving you the opportunity to...

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Page 37: ...Save As dialog box opens so that you can name the file and specify the folder to save it in After a PLT file has been saved just click File Save to save and update the file To save a new PLT file 1 Cl...

Page 38: ...hanging the original To make a copy of a file open the file and save it with a different name To make a copy of a PLT file 1 Click File Save As to open the Save As dialog box 2 Choose PLT from the Sav...

Page 39: ...either a single spot color using the first spot color or convert them to process colors Choose to save Spectratone colors with different top bottom tints as process colors or using only the top or bas...

Page 40: ...Copy to Clipboard button to transfer the information in the dialog box to the clipboard for use in other documents You will find similar information by right clicking a file name in Windows Explorer a...

Page 41: ...nd 1 and 120 minutes You also have the option to track the time spent acquiring or editing an image outside of Composer Enabling this option includes this time in the elapsed time total Disabling this...

Page 42: ...28 Chapter 4 Saving Files...

Page 43: ...r 5 Setting Up Composer s Work Surface describes all tools in the Composer window how to set defaults for your working environment and the details of using the Tools Options dialog box Chapter 6 Using...

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Page 45: ...surface and the vinyl palette displays along the bottom The Job Palette which contains the vinyls and foils in the job displays below the vinyl palette or can be docked in a different location Scroll...

Page 46: ...General 2 Turn on the Display Warning Message Boxes check box Opening displaying and moving toolbars Toolbars are flyouts dockable and moveable To set the preference of toolbars you want to display wh...

Page 47: ...lick anywhere in a window to make it the active window To close a window Click in the left corner of the title bar and then click Close To view open files in Windows With files open click Windows to s...

Page 48: ...the size of an existing reference frame on the work surface Choose the Absolute option and enter the lower left and upper right corner coordinates To add space to the size of the working area choose t...

Page 49: ...the pointer to the right end of the object and click to set it Note Always change the baseline before adding text or other design elements to the job because changing the baseline rotates all objects...

Page 50: ...weeded away Hidden objects do not display Fill stripes You can specify the number of stripes in the fill on the View tab of the Tools Options dialog box More stripes about 50 or more make the fill app...

Page 51: ...a dashed line in the vinyl color If the currently assigned background color is the same as an object s filled color then that object will not be visible in Fill Colors mode Image Placeholders are draw...

Page 52: ...ing the work surface Zoom to Selected magnifies the currently selected object so that it fills the work surface Zoom to All resizes the design so that it is in the center of the work surface with a sm...

Page 53: ...se the dialog box You may make multiple changes in different tabs in the Options dialog box and then click Apply to confirm the changes Click OK to close the Options dialog box when finished Defaults...

Page 54: ...basic color palette or define a Custom Color See the View tab for additional information on wireframe colors Sounds Direct access to the Sound Properties of Windows Control Panel is provided on the G...

Page 55: ...o display the plot file as a wireframe Color Cartoon is the default setting Enter value up to 16 in the Recent File List Contains box to display that number of the most recently used files in the MRU...

Page 56: ...ust this time between and 1 and 120 minutes Turn on Track Time Spent in Acquire or Edit Image Idle Check Disabled to include this time in the elapsed time total Disabling this option excludes this tim...

Page 57: ...g Shapes and Displaying Information for details You can set the size of the grid through the Set Grid command of the Layout menu or on the Layout tab Turn on All Control Points to display the graphica...

Page 58: ...n off wireframe to display objects in Filled mode as the default Wireframe Color There are four methods of wireframe which can be set in this dialog box or in the View menu Single Color causes all obj...

Page 59: ...was in Composer versions older than OMEGA 2 0 Filled Mode There are two Filled modes that can be set in this dialog box or in the View menu Design View displays all visible objects in the job Hidden o...

Page 60: ...Grid is activated Turn on Lock Guidelines to anchor Guidelines in position This is helpful when moving objects while Guidelines display See the topic Locking objects for details Turn on Snap to Grid...

Page 61: ...ot to change the current layer when selecting objects in this manner Show Break Group Warning displays a message when you attempt to move part of a group to a different layer thus breaking the group S...

Page 62: ...s a Template that can be displayed but not printed to a thermal printer A Template image can be printed on a paper printer A Template is useful when digitizing shapes in images Default Spot Color Defa...

Page 63: ...50 See the topic Dimming an image for details In Dim Intensity enter a percentage at which to display dimmed images Temporary Images Files for Embedded Images OMEGA creates temporary image files to al...

Page 64: ...ue between 0 025 and 0 200 to alter the size of the symbols that are used to draw points on a printer The shortcut key is 2 Selection Distance in 3 Use the slider control or enter a value between 0 02...

Page 65: ...font in TOWS for details Show Font not in Font List Warning Turn on Show Font not in Font List Warning to display a warning if the active font in TOWS is no longer available because of the current fo...

Page 66: ...Use this vinyl as a default on File Open to use the default vinyl when opening existing plot PLT files Default Background Color Choose a default vinyl palette and then choose a default color from that...

Page 67: ...ngs on Start is turned on on the General tab the default vinyl palette is 220 GA3 5 You can change the Default Vinyl Color and the Default Background Color but you must choose a color within this pale...

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Page 69: ...g entrance and vehicle signage in the same file on different layers Vinyl only jobs can now be designed more easily using layers and the capabilities of OMEGA 2 5 or higher To Front and To Back comman...

Page 70: ...the foremost layer in the job and is in front of all other layers To design on a particular layer select the layer to make it active It is helpful to position a design at the 0 0 point on the Composer...

Page 71: ...the option in the Import dialog box Rules for modifying objects on a layer Within each layer or in a single layer job objects are also organized in stacking order An object at the top of the stack is...

Page 72: ...s layers and their contents The Layers are shown in stacking order with the topmost layer at the top of the tree Layers i descending order in the tree reflect the stacking front to back order of the...

Page 73: ...ayer Tree yellow tip box to display the entire line of information Alternately you can ex Object Properties display from left to right in the following order Object type Image file name Shape or Text...

Page 74: ...e all obje members of the group or combine are selected in the layer tree When selected the layer name displays in the Current Active Layer color The default color is blue and can be changed on the Ge...

Page 75: ...in the job You can then hide merge or delete them When there are no locked layers in the job the command is unavailable Locating objects and layers in the Layer Tree Use the Locate Object and Locate L...

Page 76: ...or positions it behind the target layer or object in the job Right click context menu Reorder objects on a layer by right clicking the object and selecting a command from the context menu The context...

Page 77: ...ithout moving an object reselect the command from the Arrange menu to clear the check mark press the Esc key or right click and select End In Front of or In Back of command Paste Back in Front Of or P...

Page 78: ...This border consisting of six rectangles was generated using Repeats and Merge The three rectangles on the left were modified using Distortion The three rectangles on the right were modified using War...

Page 79: ...ated on the L default they are turned on Manipulating objects using the Layer Tree context menu You can manipulate an object via the Layer Tree instead of using the work surface Select an object in th...

Page 80: ...e Layout tab of the Tools Options dialog box The factory set Default Dim Intensity is 50 and any percentage between 0 and 100 can be entered Notes The Notes portion of the window provides an area to e...

Page 81: ...o put it in rename mode Merges the objects on the selected layers into the last selected layer The stacking order within each layer remains the same but the overall stacking order may change if the la...

Page 82: ...locks all layers in the job Unlock All Layers unlocks all layers in the job All Layers Expand All Layers Collapse All Layers Expand All Layers displays all objects on all layers Collapse All Layers h...

Page 83: ...ging is controlled on the Layout tab of the Tools Options dialog box By default this option is turned off and objects are not grouped when layers are merged Properties roperties opens the Layer Tree O...

Page 84: ...der is flattened to a single layer Any manual changes to the Print Order that were made in Composer are discarded 2 In GSPPlot the Select Colors dialog box now includes layer control and information Y...

Page 85: ...s cannot be moved from one layer to another in the Print Out log box The Rebuild button in the Print Output Order dialog box returns the foil order f the selected vinyl to the original st previous cha...

Page 86: ...earrange the ragging ng in the list or by selecting a foil and using the Up or Down buttons ebuild returns the Print Order for the selected vinyl on the selected layer to the original stacking order U...

Page 87: ...the ones you to send Turning off a layer turns off the foils and vinyls on the layer o one layer by choosing the option in the Import dialog box Jobs created with OMEGA versions prior to 2 5 open wit...

Page 88: ...uential number i e Candy H Heart tif 3 Candy Heart tif 4 Flatten layers Clear the Keep Layers checkbox if you do not want to maintain the layers that exist in the imported file Flatten layers becomes...

Page 89: ...name layer color or fill stroke attributes You can turn on the contour cut alter the layer names RGB or CMYK color to match the imported file For A was use ust be defined in the Impo definitio For C i...

Page 90: ...te a new swatch Double click the swatch to open the Swatch Options dialog box 4 Name the swatch CutContour and choose Spot Color in Color Type Set the color to white in CMYK 0 0 0 0 and in RGB 255 255...

Page 91: ...to import the file To create a Cut Contour in CorelDRAW 4 Import the CMX file into OMEGA using the CMX GSP CorelDraw Exchange rs 1 Create a new layer to hold the cut objects 2 On the new layer copy o...

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Page 93: ...or deselected on the Composer work surface and vice versa When selected an object name is highlighted in the Layer Tree and the object becomes selected on the work surface Chapter 7 Selecting the Ele...

Page 94: ...rs dialog box Reverse selecting objects The Reverse command in the Select menu of Composer changes t Selected objects are deselected and unselected objects are selected Selecting all objects The All c...

Page 95: ...s The Select Clipping Paths command displays the Select Clipping Paths dialog box where you can choose part or all of the clipping path objects See the topic Selecting clipping path items via the Sele...

Page 96: ...82 Chapter 7 Selecting Elements of the Design...

Page 97: ...rough adding special characters to arranging the text in the design this chapter tells all you need to know about OMEGA s text capabilities Chapter 9 Creating Shapes introduces you to the Construction...

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Page 99: ...error and retype To change a large amount of text highlight it and retype the new text To enter text in TOWS 1 Click the TOWS tool to open the TOWS toolbar at the top of the work surface The TOWS tool...

Page 100: ...dit Small Text dialog box provides controls for line spacing character spacing and character width There are several types of fonts available in the Font dialog box of the Enter Edit Small Text dialog...

Page 101: ...Factor box The minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 500 6 To change the spacing between lines of Small Text enter a percentage value in the Line Spacing box The minimum value is 0 and the maxi...

Page 102: ...s in a job you can display only the list of EDGE fonts and exclude other fonts from appearing in the list Limiting and displaying available font choices Two dialog boxes Filter by Category and Current...

Page 103: ...rent Font Categories dialog box which allows you to see a list box that contains all the currently selected font categories This list box is for viewing only you cannot change or select any of the fon...

Page 104: ...wing warning This warning can be activated or deactivated in the Enter Edit Text dialog box 4 Click OK to return to the Font Select dialog box To display the available font choices in the Enter Edit T...

Page 105: ...log box 3 Click the scroll arrow to open the Font Name list 4 Click the font to select it 5 Click F11 to change to the font and return to the Enter Edit Text dialog box Note If you open a file with sm...

Page 106: ...nstalled fonts Use the Gerber Installed Fonts selection from GSPTray to access the Fonts Selected for Printing dialog box This dialog box allows you to View a list of all the fonts you have access to...

Page 107: ...ames of the fonts you want to print 4 In the Text Height boxes enter a size and mode of measurement for the fonts 5 Turn on either wireframe or filled to print the fonts as either wireframe or prefill...

Page 108: ...ext use an italic font Superscripting characters Use TOWS the Enter Edit Text dialog box or the Text menu to superscript or subscript characters To superscript characters in TOWS 1 Click the Text on t...

Page 109: ...and getting text preference You can save text attributes of height slant rotation justification and mode as the preferenced settings in TOWS or the Enter Edit dialog box You can have different prefere...

Page 110: ...on buttons 3 Enter text on the work surface The line of text will justify left center or right 4 To justify horizontally or vertically select the text then click Text Horizontal Placement or Vertical...

Page 111: ...click one of the justification buttons You can also click select all the text click Text Justification and then choose left center or right justification Entering connected fonts You can only enter co...

Page 112: ...connected font character symbol When using a connected font or a script font there are text letters that do not have complete closure Once you have typed the text in the specified script font review t...

Page 113: ...f Font 38733 Athletic Script Connected 39003 Breeze Script Connecting 39007 Brody Script Connected 38753 Brush Script Connected 39018 Casualee Cursive Connected 38770 Commercial Script Connected 47166...

Page 114: ...characters To connect fonts using the ASCII number 1 Determine the characters that need to be connected 2 Double click the text to open the Enter Edit Text dialog box 3 Click F3 Font F9 View Font fin...

Page 115: ...The following chart provides ASCII codes for particular alternate characters such as an additional capital A or S in all fonts Character ASCII Character ASCII acct 1 0247 acct F 0128 acct 2 0174 acct...

Page 116: ...colors tints and contour cuts To enter EDGE fonts in TOWS 1 Click the Text on the Work Surface tool to open the TOWS toolbar 2 Click the scroll arrow on the font select combo box The font list drops d...

Page 117: ...work surface or hit the tab key or enter key The text is now edited Tip Use the keyboard and mouse to quickly select characters Keyboard interface shortcuts Use Shift Keyboard navigation keys arrows...

Page 118: ...e edits to your text 3 Click OK to return to the Enter Edit Small Text dialog box 4 Click OK to return to the work surface Using Change Case to alter the case of text In the Text menu a Change Case ca...

Page 119: ...WS 1 Click the Text on the Work Surface tool to open the TOWS toolbar 2 Enter text on the work surface 3 Put the cursor between pairs of characters 4 To increase the space type the key to add 3 75 of...

Page 120: ...lines of text to be changed 3 Change the spacing in the Line Spacing text box 4 The lines will space visually on the work surface To change the spacing between lines in the Enter Edit dialog box Note...

Page 121: ...based on the largest font and the current position of the first line of text When Smart Editing text turn on Reset All Line Spacing in the Enter Edit Text dialog box To reset line spacing in TOWS 1 Cl...

Page 122: ...in Forced Length can also change the length 6 Remove the check in the check box if you want to return to the original length unforced or free Tip Reducing the length to less than 70 will probably cau...

Page 123: ...the work surface to activate the new rotation To rotate text in the Enter Edit Text dialog box 1 In the Enter Edit Text dialog box enter text 2 Enter a rotation value in the F5 Rotation text box 3 Cl...

Page 124: ...ghlight and select more than one line of text and apply the arc to these multiple lines however unacceptable distortion and overlapping of text may occur Converting text to shapes Use the Remove Text...

Page 125: ...user dictionary for all languages Spell Check is available for checking your text when you enter text through TOWS in the Enter Edit Text dialog box or through the Enter Edit Small Text dialog box La...

Page 126: ...cated Suggestions This list contains the suggested replacements for the word reported as misspelled Subsequent clicks of the Suggest button may yield more suggestions The word selected in the Suggesti...

Page 127: ...Words with Numbers When enabled any words containing embedded digits are ignored i e are skipped without being checked Examples of such words include Win95 and Q4 You might enable this option if the t...

Page 128: ...stions will be offered Suggest Split Words When enabled two separate words will be suggested as a replacement for a misspelling containing two joined words For example is the would be suggested as a r...

Page 129: ...r to enter the name of the new dictionary file Language This list specifies the language e g French English of the words the new user dictionary will contain If the language you want to use is not lis...

Page 130: ...ake some time Export Click Export to save the contents of the currently selected dictionary to a text file When you select the Export button a dialog box appears which you can use to select the name o...

Page 131: ...which they appear in the Files list If you want to exclude a word make sure it doesn t appear in a previous user dictionary Ignore skip This action tells the spelling checker that the word is spelled...

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Page 133: ...the Construction tool is not displayed click the arrow at the lower right corner of the Construction tool or click and hold anywhere in the tool to access the fly out Construction toolbar Click the B...

Page 134: ...more control Decorative borders Use the Border tool in the Construction toolbar to add a decorative border around text shapes or the entire design This tool also provides an easy way to make a precis...

Page 135: ...nside border shape if a thickness is used after adding the border Setting the radius If you choose a corner type other than square you must set the radius of the rounded or concave corner in the Radiu...

Page 136: ...want the border to be inset exactly 5 from the edge of the substrate size the border to 8 x 10 then apply a 5 inset Note If you apply a negative inset 5 for example the border will extend 5 beyond the...

Page 137: ...ted shapes to create the surround box 5 Turn on Apply current style to create the box using the currently active vinyl fill and stroke 6 Turn on Include stroke widths to calculate the placement of the...

Page 138: ...created in the Polygon dialog box To create a polygon 1 Click the Construction toolbar Polygon tool then click on the work surface to set the center of the polygon and open the Polygon dialog box 2 Ch...

Page 139: ...pening the points of a star The sliding control in the Polygon dialog box makes the points of a star more prominent This is available only when the star has more than six points The farther to the rig...

Page 140: ...to fill The groups allow you to select every other segment in the shape as seen in the example Tip If there are other shapes in the job then reverse select will select all the other shapes Use the Se...

Page 141: ...the Target tool to open the GerberCUT Targets Property toolbar Targets can be placed in one of three ways Manual Targets Click the target tool on the work surface to place a target at that location C...

Page 142: ...d on a new layer named Targets Layer Corner and Automatic targets are grouped Targets can be moved to a different layer after they are placed If they are moved from the Target layer they will not be a...

Page 143: ...ffect of the various Line tools Clicking on the Line tool then the work surface sets the first point Moving the mouse and clicking sets point 2 Clicking on Start Curve moving the mouse and clicking se...

Page 144: ...ooth curves using the Start Curve Smooth and End Curve Smooth tools 7 When you are done drawing click Line toolbar End Shape Open or End Shape Closed to finish the shape Tip Use Edit Undo Redo to dele...

Page 145: ...atically closes by connecting the last drawn point to the start point Adding to a freehand drawing After you are finished using the Line tool you can return to the shape later and add to it from the l...

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Page 147: ...choose the operation from the Shape menu or select the object in the Layer Tree and right click to display the context menu which has the same commands Sizing You can change the size of shapes or tex...

Page 148: ...are sizing uniformly enter either the new height or length If you are sizing non uniformly enter both the new height and length 5 Click OK Tip You can also select objects in the Layer Tree and right...

Page 149: ...e To visually slant an object 1 Click the object to select it then click a second time to display the slant arrows 2 Click and drag either of the horizontal or vertical slant arrows to change the slan...

Page 150: ...y flips the object vertically and horizontally The In Place Flip maintains the handle locations in the same position after the flip Shape Flip X and Flip Y allow you to pick the location to which to f...

Page 151: ...me to display the rotate handles at each corner 2 Click one of the four rotate handles and drag the object image or text to a new angle As you rotate the object text or image the angle displays on the...

Page 152: ...Options View and turn on the Window Show Keyboard Rotate Dialog Box check box To rotate to a standard angle degree 1 Turn on Num Lock on the computer keyboard 2 Select the object text or image 3 Clic...

Page 153: ...ckwise and negative angle values rotate objects clockwise To rotate to any angle 1 Select the object 2 Click Shape Directed Rotate to open the Directed Rotate dialog box 3 Enter the rotation Angle val...

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Page 155: ...Ungrouping If you need to make changes to individual objects without affecting other objects in the group such as changing alignment or portions of text use the Ungroup command in the Arrange menu No...

Page 156: ...mand to unlock all objects in the file even if they are not selected The Lock command does not change group or combine associations Locking does however impact the status of selection Normally a locke...

Page 157: ...makes it difficult for you to move the object with the cursor or when trying to move the object you can inadvertently resize it To make this process easier press the Alt key and use the handle to move...

Page 158: ...space To position a tool using Manual Entry 1 Click Layout Manual Entry to open the Manual Entry dialog box 2 Enter a value in the X and Y coordinate boxes 3 Click OK 4 Click a Text Construction or Li...

Page 159: ...d angled guidelines are available Add these guidelines either manually or by setting an exact value for the placement of your guideline in the Set Guideline dialog boxes Click in the horizontal or ver...

Page 160: ...cally in the Spacing dialog box available from the Arrange menu You have two spacing choices Center to Center sets even spacing from the center of one object to the center of the next Gap sets even sp...

Page 161: ...ntal spacing the left edge is used If an object s left edge is to the left of or even with the left edge of the anchor object then it will move left when spaced If an object s left edge is to the righ...

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Page 163: ...ns are printable making it easy to create a proof or installation layout Dimensions can be placed on a separate layer so that they can be hidden or output separately Dimensioning tools include the Ann...

Page 164: ...ts before using the Measuring tape again 4 Measurements that have been converted to print objects can be output to a printer If you wish to print the job without the measurement objects you must delet...

Page 165: ...measurements into printable objects The tape becomes an arrow and the measurements become Small Text You can alter the font size and style of the measurement objects by changing the defaults in the E...

Page 166: ...culated distance is the sum of the distance around each selected object To measure the distance around objects 1 Select one or more objects 2 Click Shape Distance Around Objects 3 The Distance Around...

Page 167: ...urning on Print Dimension Information in the Layout dialog box In addition you must turn on View Show All or View Show Print to display dimensions in GSPPlot If View Show Cut is active dimensions do n...

Page 168: ...second extension of the angle click left Position cursor to set origin of the second extension click left Move cursor to set the location of the dimension line click left 5 For Annotations Position th...

Page 169: ...al dimension objects by double clicking them using the shape pointer You can select all dimensions of a certain type using the Select menu Click Select Dimension to display the cascading list of dimen...

Page 170: ...ensioning for Dimensioning tools are used to show the actual output sizes of objects in Composer Dimensions are commonly used to aid in the installation process and as a sales tool for use in customer...

Page 171: ...ng dimension creation Dimension Line A line or arc that represents the distance or angle sweep being measured The dimension line usually ends with an arrowhead at the extension lines Depending on the...

Page 172: ...e dimension text The Dimensions Toolbar To display the Dimension Toolbar click Dimensions Show Dimensions Toolbar or click on the measure dimension tool from the main toolbar This is a dock able toolb...

Page 173: ...al dimension tool allows the user to create and edit vertical dimensions A vertical dimension has a vertical dimension line measuring a distance parallel to the y axis Refer to the illustration below...

Page 174: ...le 2 Left click a second time setting the origin of the first extension line 3 Left click a third time setting the origin of the second extension line 4 Left click a fourth and final time setting the...

Page 175: ...snap to the corners or nodes of objects On Axis can be found in the Layout menu or on the Layout tab of the Tools Options dialog box The Object Dimension tool allows the user to create and edit horizo...

Page 176: ...them Fill and Stroke Dimension objects take on current fill and stroke attributes Use the Fill and Stroke dialog boxes to set these attributes Visibility This drop down list allows the user to hide p...

Page 177: ...e architectural tick has a width of 0 027 15 of 0 18 The default diameter for dot filled blanked and origin is 0 18 The default length of a side for the box filled and box blanked is 0 18 The datum tr...

Page 178: ...or fractionally Precision The Precision drop down list allows the user to configure the exactness of the displayed measurement For decimal representation this means the number of digits appearing aft...

Page 179: ...nsion Checking the Edit Dimension box edits the text for a specific dimension When this happens than the dimension measurement is no longer automatically updated for that dimension when it changes Del...

Page 180: ...Bold Italic or Italic for the dimension text Font Height This button allows the user to select the height of the dimension text Convert to Objects this button converts the dimension object into small...

Page 181: ...hows you how to create special palettes with your own colors Chapter 15 Understanding Vinyl Colors discusses how to choose and use vinyl colors Chapter 16 Changing Vinyl Colors to Spot Foil Colors des...

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Page 183: ...of the Color Selection tool or in the Color Selection Toolbar Click View Toolbar and turn on Color Select to display the toolbar Defining the current style The current style is comprised of the charac...

Page 184: ...ice for any newly created objects There are times you would like no style at all applied to a newly created object Therefore the Fill Off and Stroke Off buttons will be enabled even if there is nothin...

Page 185: ...open the current vinyl palette 2 Click and drag the new color to the background To change the fill 1 Click the Fill tool to open the Assign Colors dialog box 2 Choose the Fill Type and all its attribu...

Page 186: ...reated object Creating filled text or objects without cutlines Objects are normally created with cutlines However there may be times when you do not want print objects to be cut for example printing G...

Page 187: ...nd objects are cut only when there is no current fill otherwise nothing would be created objects are print only when there is a current fill EDGE fonts are print only with no cutlines Tip You can turn...

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Page 189: ...er Standard Foil Palette and the Gerber Process Colors Palette Tip Use the Palette icons on the work surface for each of the different palettes to easily change the displayed palette To display the cu...

Page 190: ...upon the next carriage return or when digitizing the palette is updated when a shape is ended Rearranging colors in a palette You can arrange the order of foils vinyls or process colors in a palette...

Page 191: ...in the future Assigning vinyl colors You must select an object before assigning a vinyl color to that object In the illustration below the vinyl palette is shown above the Job Palette Vinyl swatches a...

Page 192: ...the job palette through the menu ing a job palette Once you have created a job palette by assigning colors to all the objects in the job you can e to use agai To save a job palette 1 Click View Job Pa...

Page 193: ...nager you can create custom vinyl or process palettes by creating a color adding it to a palette then saving it with a new name that does not start with the letters GSP Creating a new palette Create a...

Page 194: ...custom palette save it with a unique name To save a new palette 1 Create all the colors for the new palette 2 Type your new Palette Title in the text box 3 Click OK A Save changes to Palette prompt ap...

Page 195: ...tte PAL File dialog box opens 3 Choose the desired Gerber Palette click Open and the Palette Manager opens To open Palette Manager through Fill Stroke 1 Click either the Fill or Stroke button in the T...

Page 196: ...he palette Delete eliminates a color from a palette 5 To rearrange the order of the colors in a palette click a color and drag it to a new location in the list 6 Click Palette Save to save the changes...

Page 197: ...dobe Illustrator palette files AI to the Adobe Illustrator program folder to make them available in the program Contents of the Adobe Palettes folder include Gerber220Vinyl AI Gerber225Vinyl AI Gerber...

Page 198: ...RGB to CMYK to RGB conversion can alter colors significantly To access the Gerber vinyl and foil palettes in Adobe Illustrator 1 Click Start Programs Adobe Illustrator to open Adobe Illustrator 2 Clic...

Page 199: ...n printed on the Gerber printer Installing Gerber palettes in CorelDRAW Note The following procedure uses CorelDRAW 10 and Windows XP Procedure steps and results may vary in other versions of CorelDRA...

Page 200: ...ote The following procedure uses CorelDRAW 10 and Windows XP Procedure steps and results may vary in earlier versions of CorelDRAW and other operating systems Once you have loaded the Gerber vinyl and...

Page 201: ...ng vinyl colors to your objects choose a vinyl palette There are many vinyl palettes from which to choose when chosen the palettes will be displayed at the bottom of the work surface Click View Vinyl...

Page 202: ...ect that is grouped or combined with other objects by pressing the Ctrl key while clicking on the object Assign color to multiple shapes by drawing a rubber band box around them also called marquee se...

Page 203: ...Job palette Selecting objects of the same vinyl color If you want to change a certain color in a job use the Select By Vinyl dialog box to select the color you want to change Objects that are on hidde...

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Page 205: ...erize a multi vinyl job for printing depending on the requirements of the design Posterizing the entire job When you posterize an entire job it becomes a single vinyl color job with the original desig...

Page 206: ...ick Tools Posterize Shapes to open the Posterize Selected Shapes dialog box Choosing the vinyl color Use the vinyl color palette to choose the vinyl on which to print your shapes The default vinyl col...

Page 207: ...n the job When posterizing the system calculates the tint percentage of a color 0 to 100 that best matches the reference colors and the color you selected appears outlined To choose the foil color 1 F...

Page 208: ...d in this palette if the Show Posterize Colors checkbox is turned on To choose a reference color From the Posterize Selected Shapes dialog box click a reference color from the top row of the Reference...

Page 209: ...sample in the Foil Used Color palette The next time you posterize the job there will be a green color sample in the Foils Used Color palette Note You cannot reposterize a vinyl only job Once it is pos...

Page 210: ...Print Correctly for more information about combining shapes Sometimes the fill color resulting from posterizing may not be exactly the color or tint that you prefer Use the Color Selection pointer to...

Page 211: ...pecial process palettes such as PANTONE Colors and EDGE match You can find information about them in Assigning PANTONE Colors and Choosing a Fill Color that Matches Printer Output The section Matching...

Page 212: ...ors choose a foil color in the Selected Color drop down list For Process colors click the color button in the Color group box to open the process color palette and choose a color 6 If desired set Over...

Page 213: ...ling with a spot foil Choose a spot foil for situations such as using only one foil to create a color and using tint to vary the fill color There are several Fill Types from which to choose Solid Grad...

Page 214: ...ck Fill to open the Fill tab of the Assign Colors dialog box 2 Choose Linear in the Fill Type group box 3 Choose Spot in the Color Type box 4 Choose a palette in the drop down list 5 Select a color in...

Page 215: ...c circles from the inside of the shape outward Position in the Tint group box places the fill based on a percentage from 1 to 100 When using Radial fills the Radial Center Offset is available It allow...

Page 216: ...Printer Output Choosing a solid process fill When applying a solid fill to an object using process colors there are two attributes that must be assigned to the fill Palette and Color To choose a solid...

Page 217: ...he sample fill box and visually adjust the linear angle A preview of the angle shows in the sample fill box 8 Click OK Choosing a radial process fill Using Radial fills with process colors creates fad...

Page 218: ...offsets in the Radial Center Offset group box or click inside the sample fill box and visually adjust the radial center A preview of the radial center shows in the sample fill box 8 Click OK Filling w...

Page 219: ...lay another black arrow 10 Repeat steps 5 through 7 to add new spot colors to the fill 11 To edit a color within the fill select the color position arrow it will turn black and change the location col...

Page 220: ...ction box in the Color group box A color palette drops down 7 Choose a color in the color menu and click Select 8 Enter a Position or double click the right or left box of the position slider A black...

Page 221: ...n the Assign Colors dialog box 2 Turn on Use single color in a gradient fill 3 Select a new color from the scrolling palette All the colors in the gradient fill should change to the selected color Tin...

Page 222: ...ject When creating gradient fills with Spectratone colors you can also assign tint percentages to the top and base colors To apply Spectratone color to a gradient fill 1 Click Fill to open the Fill ta...

Page 223: ...ple fill box displays a preview of the fill 11 Click OK to return to the Composer work surface Tip To remove a color double click that color arrow in the position slider or drag the arrow off the end...

Page 224: ...gn Colors dialog box When you return to the work surface all selected objects will have the same fill type color halftone etc To edit Halftones select multiple objects and open the Assign Color dialog...

Page 225: ...for example Morgan Inc Blue while you change the C M Y or K values to get the exact color you want Changing from a spot fill to a process fill There are two ways to change from a spot fill to a proce...

Page 226: ...turn to QuickPlot where you can output the job Automatically convert Process fills to Spot fills Use the Assign Colors dialog box to easily convert Process color fills to Gerber Spot color fills The f...

Page 227: ...The chart is printed When reviewing this chart notice that the CMYK values are the same for each halftone sample yet because of the different halftone types and LPI s used the samples appear to be di...

Page 228: ...s built into this halftone and cannot be changed GerberTone Fine is used for filling smaller shapes such as name and address labels The LPI is built into this halftone and cannot be changed GerberTone...

Page 229: ...ribed in the MAXX 2 Owner s Guide Second when possible use the optimized MAXX GerberTone halftone for the job When sending the job to the MAXX 2 allow GSPPlot to automatically substitute existing half...

Page 230: ...h My Original Halftones directs GSPPlot to send the job to the MAXX 2 without modification to the original halftone settings Choose this option to print with halftones that are smaller than 35 LPI Let...

Page 231: ...nes in the Edit Halftones dialog box that is accessible from the Fill or Stroke tab of the Assign Colors dialog box You can also access the Edit Halftones dialog box by clicking the Edit fill halftone...

Page 232: ...e original assignment of the halftone is done in the Assign Colors and Image Fill dialog box in Composer Once the job is opened in GSPPlot you can substitute both the halftone type and the LPI Click t...

Page 233: ...converting an Edge job from Spot to Process foils When importing an image or vector file directly into the GSPPlot program When using Classical Dot or Spiral Dot as the substituted halftone type for G...

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Page 235: ...e alternate methods of determining fill colors print and use GerberColor Spectratone charts as described in Making and Using Spectratone Chart Colors assign a PANTONE color fill as described in Fillin...

Page 236: ...ning fills to objects using the Assign Colors dialog box refer to Filling Objects with Colors for Printing To choose and assign an EDGE Match color 1 Review the printed copy of the EDGE Match Color Ma...

Page 237: ...ou are matching to noted at step 2 7 Click the sample color box that corresponds to the magenta and cyan percentages noted at step 2 The large color sample displays the color and the color values appe...

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Page 239: ...o not select any foil colors in the list box that you do not have in your inventory The thermal printer will prompt for those foils and the Spectratone chart will not print properly The chart must be...

Page 240: ...ure white vinyl or clear enamel receptive is loaded in the printer and follow the printer prompts Tip To reduce the size of the chart and save foil and material turn on Condensed Patches This prints t...

Page 241: ...hould be the same material you use to print the basic Spectratone chart Tip If you print the chart on clear enamel receptive you should turn on the Prime Base check box in the Spectratone dialog box I...

Page 242: ...colors Tints increase the number of colors that can be achieved with GerberColor Spectratone OMEGA 2 0 provides a small color chart that shows how two colors look when using various tint percentages...

Page 243: ...e palette To assign a Spectratone fill 1 Select an object and open the Assign Colors dialog box 2 Choose the Fill Type Spot Color Type and Gerber Spectratone Palette to open the Spectratone group box...

Page 244: ......

Page 245: ...ors for Printing and Strokes Adding Thickness to the Outline of Objects The key to a PANTONE Color fill in Composer is to select Process as the Color Type and PANTONE solid coated as the palette Note...

Page 246: ...TONE color number in the Assign Colors dialog box and then click the PANTONE Color button When Gerber ColorID displays PANTONE is already chosen as the Source Palette You can choose the Matching Targe...

Page 247: ...ign Colors dialog box A stroke adds thickness to the outline of an object without adding additional shapes to the design Adding strokes to an object Click the Stroke tool to open the Assign Colors dia...

Page 248: ...u can apply a single percentage tint to the entire stroke If a Spectratone is used on a stroke you cannot apply different percentage tints to the top and base colors Process foil prints a color based...

Page 249: ...Join Type determines the type of corner to be applied when two line segments join Scaleable when this attribute is turned on Composer proportionally changes the stroke width as you size an object If...

Page 250: ...ctratone color area may be so noticeable as to be undesirable It may be better to have the two objects butt as shown in Removing overlaps and overprints especially if the two colors are light and a sl...

Page 251: ...t change but all selected objects will have a solid stroke If the All option is turned on the selected shapes take on all the attributes that currently display in the Assign Colors dialog box For exam...

Page 252: ...f the Current stroke width by that factor 5 Click OK to apply the new stroke widths to the job Converting strokes to shapes with Expand Strokes The Expand Strokes command in the Tools menu converts an...

Page 253: ...are print and cut the strokes become print and cut shapes If the stroked object has cuts turned off the expanded strokes become print only shapes Revert Expanded Strokes back to OMEGA strokes by doub...

Page 254: ...240 Chapter 22 Strokes Adding Print Thickness to the Outline of Objects...

Page 255: ...and assign the combines of objects In addition this chapter includes tips and techniques to solve print registration problems and ensure that the design cuts correctly Chapter 23 Before Printing or Cu...

Page 256: ......

Page 257: ...verify AND select shapes with specific colors fill types object types and other attributes Objects on hidden or locked layers cannot be selected using the Select menu commands The Select Menu can als...

Page 258: ...jects that have the assigned vinyl color are then selected on the work surface Tip Click the Name button in the Select by Vinyl dialog box The Select By Color Name dialog box appears displaying the na...

Page 259: ...ayers cannot be selected using the Select menu commands To check or select fills and strokes by color type 1 Click Select Fills or Strokes Spot Process or Clear 2 The objects with the chosen color typ...

Page 260: ...Wireframe Fill Colors to show the objects as wireframes in their assigned fill colors Gradient fills are drawn using a dotted line If an object has a process color gradient fill the first color of the...

Page 261: ...be selected using the Select menu commands These commands are only available if there is at least one object with that attribute in the job Click Select Overlaps Fills Strokes or Both to select object...

Page 262: ...th Thumbnails of the Clipping Path objects display in the window Tip The Preferences button in the Select Clipping Path dialog box saves the current settings as the default settings Checking and selec...

Page 263: ...Toolbars and turn on Arrange to display the toolbar As you create your job it can be viewed in several ways Filled or Wireframe Press F8 on your keyboard to change the view or click View Filled or Wi...

Page 264: ...plotter cut lines Cuts Off does not work on unfilled unstroked objects Use Delete Cuts to delete cut only objects or to turn cuts off of filled stroked objects Use any of the Cuts buttons in the Arran...

Page 265: ...Back Of pastes a selected object directly in back of a clicked object 5 Combining and filling groups for printing Combine On command effects the way fills are applied to text and shapes Combining sha...

Page 266: ...must be on the same layer to combine If you combine objects that reside on different layers the objects are automatically moved to the layer of the last selected item When moving combined objects to...

Page 267: ...e This calibration procedure is in the topic Calibrating the plotter to a printer The second technique is to use multiple printed targets for registering the plotter knife to the job This is described...

Page 268: ...o correct this situation Do not butt colors Use overprints and overlaps or apply a stroke around the objects Use traplines and choke spreads Select CMYK Black on a process color job Shrink the base la...

Page 269: ...atone color area may be so noticeable as to be undesirable It may be better to have the two shapes butt as shown in Removing overlaps and overprints especially if the two colors are light and a slight...

Page 270: ...ntirely The two shapes are butted together which has the potential for registration problems but avoids creating a Spectratone color in the overlap overprint area To remove overlaps and overprints fro...

Page 271: ...as narrow as possible while still fulfilling the objectives of the design Unless the stroke is very dark black for instance the combination of printing one color over another can inadvertently create...

Page 272: ...portant rules which must be followed when using Trapline The thickness must have a positive value and cannot equal 0 The bleed must have a positive value cannot equal 0 and cannot be greater than the...

Page 273: ...beyond the thickness and makes the thickness edge a cutline When you cut the shape on a plotter the bleed cut area is weeded away removing print to cut registration problems To assign a bleed cut to...

Page 274: ...small amount 010 for example which is enough to fill a registration gap without creating a Spectratone color with the overprinting foils There are important rules which must be followed when using Cho...

Page 275: ...egistration problems are reduced To optimize the print registration of black 1 Turn on Print as Process in the Print Options dialog box in GSPPlot to convert the job to a process color job 2 Turn on C...

Page 276: ...Dynamically switch between layered and flatted print order using the Output By Layer checkbox if the job has layers View each layer separately by choosing it from the Layers drop down menu Review the...

Page 277: ...erprint or overlap are turned on for one or more spot colors the print order can have an effect on the way a finished job looks once it is printed Overprinted or overlapped colors must print after oth...

Page 278: ...a primer will be primed with the first color If the first color is red for example and a yellow filled object also requires a prime it will be primed with red and the result will probably be an unsat...

Page 279: ...the job contains a process color filled image you can allow the GSPPlot program to choose the best color correction for the image by turning on the Auto Select check box in the Print Option dialog bo...

Page 280: ...easons as described in the following guidelines Use GA 6 2 Improved for SUPER CMYK Foils when using SUPER CMYK foils this is the default color correction for jobs using process colors Use GA 6 2 Impro...

Page 281: ...t up OMEGA Color Management Chapter 27 Importing Files into Composer provides instructions on the best method of importing files using GSP filters This chapter also describes how to use all of the imp...

Page 282: ......

Page 283: ...You don t have to know how to use it it just works Simply follow the steps Tip This chapter provides the basic steps to quickly set up OMEGA Color Management To learn more about Color Management see H...

Page 284: ...vice profiles using the Profile Manager ring import You may apply an Image Source Profile to image fil Color Management dialog box choose Always Ask in the CMYK RGB or Grayscale boxes to display the S...

Page 285: ...Pixel High ntil you change them d see them with accurate colors The image Some users use other combinations of Thumbnail Resolution and Thumbnail Color to match their color needs and file size needs...

Page 286: ...t low on screen resolution Medium file sizes Good Compromise t Medium file size with 24 bi color and a maximum file size of 200 by 200 pixels 4 Low n for images Sometimes hard to design size of 200 by...

Page 287: ...to import into OMEGA save the file as a PDF This format imports well maintaining many features including Gerber foil and vinyl assignments images text strokes and overprints Understanding the Import...

Page 288: ...A good choice if files are to be used locally not shared with other locations or users All image files can be stored in one location such as a remote server for easy organization or to conserve disk...

Page 289: ...lt this check box is turned off in the Import dialog box when importing single files Keep layers When working with layers OMEGA assumes that all jobs have at least one layer Depending on the file type...

Page 290: ...s and your computer does not have those fonts the Font Substitution dialog box displays the unavailable fonts so that you can substitute for them If you suppress this dialog box OMEGA automatically su...

Page 291: ...instance PLT PDF AI EPS PS CMX and CDR Vector graphics Vector graphics use X and Y coordinates to describe lines curves shading and rotation Vector graphics can be resized without distorting the appea...

Page 292: ...with the same file name as the imported file You must maintain the bitmap along with the PLT file in order to be able to print the file You can affect the output quality by changing the resolution of...

Page 293: ...eneric monitor profile can represent colors brighter than they output If you have not created a custom monitor profile with the MonacoSENSOR use the color profile supplied by the monitor manufacturer...

Page 294: ...t display Choosing the correct color profile is part of OMEGA s Color Management system OMEGA uses the color profile to represent the color as consistently as possible If you do not pay attention to c...

Page 295: ...BMP files Microsoft Windows Bitmap BMP files are raster graphic files BMP files import successfully into OMEGA Bitmap files must be imported individually The amount of free memory on your computer the...

Page 296: ...e following GSP 2 5 filters import the newer Adobe formats as vectors AI 7 thru CS GSP 2 5 as Vectors PDF 1 1 1 5 GSP 2 5 Acrobat as Vectors EPS GSP 2 5 as Vectors PS 1 thru 3 GSP 2 5 as Vectors When...

Page 297: ...ap to their folder location Import Color Management allows you to apply ICC Source and Imaging profiles during import Turn on to maintain fills or strokes on cut objects Turn on to move cut objects to...

Page 298: ...You can choose to Keep Original Colors instead of choosing a vinyl palette This defines the vinyl using the RGB or CMYK color values from the imported file as shown in the following illustration V 162...

Page 299: ...n the imported file Move Cuts to back of Z order Turn on this option to automatically move the cut objects to the back of the stacking order when importing the AI EPS PDF or PS file Font Options The F...

Page 300: ...signates that a subset containing only the characters used in the file are embedded in the file Embedded font Yes or No Type of font TrueType Type 1 etc Import Color Management The Import Color Manage...

Page 301: ...g GSP 2 5 filters import the newer Adobe formats as an image AI 7 thru CS GSP 2 5 as Image PDF 1 1 1 5 GSP 2 5 Acrobat as Image EPS GSP 2 5 as Image PS 1 thru 3 GSP 2 5 as Image When using these filte...

Page 302: ...w any errors generated during Import Magnify Move Reset to fit in window Selecting a resolution Select a resolution at a preset setting between 72 and 400 dpi or enter a specific resolution Choosing a...

Page 303: ...u 8 GSP 2 1 as Vectors or CMX GSP CorelDRAW Exchange Metafile filters see Importing AI CMX or EPS files using GSP filters Tip If you attempt to import an AI file with this filter and it fails OMEGA of...

Page 304: ...GSP 2 1 as Vectors import filter can be used to import AI Adobe Illustrator or CMX CorelDRAW Exchange Metafile files for vinyl cutting If you create a cut contour layer this filter can also maintain t...

Page 305: ...retain the original CMYK or RGB color values Either Option is recommended 6 Click the Layer Cut Options tab if you have a cut contour layer defined in the original file Use the illustration as a guid...

Page 306: ...r 1 Open the original job in CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator 2 Size the job to its intended output size in CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator 3 Go to the File Menu and Export as an RGB TIF Use 100 dpi as t...

Page 307: ...orelDRAW for more information on loading and using the palettes Note Adobe Illustrator 7 0 or higher files can be imported using the AI 7 thru CS GSP 2 5 as Vectors or as Image filters or saved as an...

Page 308: ...using Gerber palettes in Adobe Illustrator CorelDRAW uses RGB Color Mode as the default When importing a CMX or AI file that was created using Gerber vinyl or spot color palettes the fill colors will...

Page 309: ...or to CMYK colors The AI 1 1 thru 8 GSP 2 1 as Vectors CMX GSP CorelDRAW Exchange Metafile and EPS GSP 2 1 EPS as Vectors import filters provides several ways to translate the RGB and CMYK colors to...

Page 310: ...ent fills to GerberColor Spot foils at 100 density and ignores all other gradient colors in the fill Tip Gradient fills in an AI file may import more accurately using the AI 7 thru CS GSP 2 5 as Vecto...

Page 311: ...les are used by OMEGA s Color Management to control color translations and produce the most accurate color results Choose an RGB and CMYK Source Profile that identifies the color profile used when cre...

Page 312: ...d by layer name layer color or fill stroke attributes You can turn on the contour cut definitions and alter the layer names RGB or CMYK color to match the imported file For AI or EPS files the contour...

Page 313: ...B 255 255 255 This procedure uses CutContour as the layer and color name You can use a different name as long as the name you enter in OMEGA matches the name you use in Adobe Illustrator To create a C...

Page 314: ...as cut but not filled or stroked shapes Creating a Cut Contour in CorelDRAW To define cuts in CorelDRAW create cut objects that have no fill and no stroke The CMX GSP CorelDraw Exchange Metafile filte...

Page 315: ...lor management in CorelDRAW and copy the objects to the clipboard In Composer use the Paste Special command in the Edit menu and choose the Picture Metafile format Using the Clipboard to import data i...

Page 316: ...oft PowerPoint PSD Adobe PhotoShop Document WMF Microsoft Windows Metafile Importing Gerber Clip Art GCA file You can import a Gerber Clip Art GCA file from one of the Gerber Library folders To load a...

Page 317: ...have layers In the Layer Information box turn on All Layers to import all of the layers in the file By default all of the layers are flattened to the current layer during import To maintain th origina...

Page 318: ...hich imports files with varying results Text imports well graphics may not import You may import only one page at a time When the Page Select dialog box appears you can choose the page to import By de...

Page 319: ...commended at this time When designing in Adobe PhotoShop you can see the Gerber color profiles in the Color Settings dialog box For better results save the PhotoShop file as a TIF with embedded color...

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Page 321: ...geRIP Pro or ImageRIP Plus by Onyx for printing and plotting The Export to Hot Folders dialog box is described in Exporting to a Hot Folder Exporting all or portions of a file When exporting files you...

Page 322: ...exporting If you turn on the Convert text to curves check box all text in the PLT file is exported as shapes and the appearance of the job is maintained If text is not converted to curves effects suc...

Page 323: ...ile The New button that appears in some Output Filter Setup dialog boxes allows you to create and save a custom export profile The next time you export using that filter select the saved Profile and t...

Page 324: ...rmat in which to save the file The only file type currently available in the Export to Hot Folder dialog box is the EPS GSP Encapsulated PostScript File If you have created a Hot Folder either choose...

Page 325: ...s this section Exporting to BMP GIF JPG or TIF file formats A new export filter dialog box appears when exporting to the following file formats BMP GIF JPG and TIF Choose the characteristic or paramet...

Page 326: ...ed size in pixels Enter a Width and Height If you turn on Maintain Aspect Ratio the original proportions of the image are maintained Exporting to Adobe Illustrator AI or EPS format using the GSP filte...

Page 327: ...to embed a different color profile turn on Override Here in the Color Correction group box and choose a different profile from the list If you want a standard color profile used for commercial printi...

Page 328: ...on Bright Yellow 3M Scotchcal 220 the result is green in OMEGA When exporting this file to RGB Blend Colors produces the following results Turn off Blend Colors to export only the Cobalt Blue tint res...

Page 329: ...CMYK value of 0 0 0 0 white The GerberColor Spot Color name is discarded since it no longer applies Tip Turn on Export Complex Fills as Complex Fills to convert gradients in OMEGA to gradient fills in...

Page 330: ...is topic uses the name CutContour If the Neither option is chosen the Cutter Path Shape is created in Adobe Illustrator or other design software as an invisible path much like a template This invisibl...

Page 331: ...ated PostScript File EPS or Adobe Illustrator File AI The Encapsulated PostScript EPS Filter or AI Adobe Illustrator Filter creates an AI EPS file but Gerber recommends using the AI GSP Adobe Illustra...

Page 332: ...pression and resolution This option is not recommended as including a TIFF preview can cause Composer to freeze Line Cap Mode Device uses the line style and width that the display and printer are capa...

Page 333: ...se the color format for export Normal exports color without modification from the plot file Inverse filters the colors and replaces them with the negative or inverse color value For example if an obje...

Page 334: ...or Millimeters as the measurement type in which to export the file Bezier Curve Conversion Line Segments chords yields the roughest curves and the smallest file size Minimum Arcs produces curves that...

Page 335: ...ave AutoCAD version 10 or higher to read a Binary DXF Color Translations Choose the color format for export Normal exports color without modification from the plot file Inverse filters the colors and...

Page 336: ...ile to gradient fills in the GAD file rather than a series of individual shapes stripes Turn off Export Complex Fills as Complex Fills to export gradient fills as a series of stripes that are used by...

Page 337: ...lack that represents their luminosity Inverse Gray Scale filters the colors and replaces them with a shade of gray from white to black that represents the opposite luminosity Line Cap Mode Device uses...

Page 338: ...to black that represents the opposite luminosity Line Cap Mode Device uses the line style and width that the display and printer are capable of producing Stroked recreates thick lines and patterned li...

Page 339: ...screen size Printer sets the image to the printer size Source lets the destination application determine the size of the image Inches allows you to set the image size in inches Color Translations Cho...

Page 340: ...s Choose the color format for export Normal exports color without modification from the plot file Inverse filters the colors and replaces them with the negative or inverse color value For example if a...

Page 341: ...better image quality JPEG is widely used on the Internet LZW exports a job using the lossless compression technique used in creating and reading GIF TIF PS and PDF files LZW is a good choice for color...

Page 342: ...lex plot files may fail causing Composer to freeze Gradient fills stroked text embedded images etc increase the complexity of a job Choose from the following available options to modify export setting...

Page 343: ...laces them with a shade of gray from white to black that represents the opposite luminosity Data Compression Choose a data compression technique None exports the job without any data compression Run L...

Page 344: ...without modification Gray Scale filters the colors and replaces them with a shade of gray from white to black that represents their luminosity Inverse Gray Scale filters the colors and replaces them w...

Page 345: ...nd replaces them with the negative or inverse color value For example if an object is filled with 0 cyan 100 magenta 25 yellow and 25 black the inverted image will contain 100 cyan 0 magenta 75 yellow...

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Page 347: ...ding on the application you turn these options on or off Replacing Existing Files Turn on Replace Existing Files in the File converter dialog box to automatically replace an existing file If you want...

Page 348: ...format 1 Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA File Converter to open the File Converter program 2 Turn on Replace Existing Files so that the conversion sequence does not stop and prompt you to rename or ov...

Page 349: ...utomatically returns to the File Converter If any files did not convert the name is displayed in the Files to Process list box File conversion troubleshooting If the results of file importing or expor...

Page 350: ...n on the Convert text to curves check box all text in the PLT file is exported as shapes and the appearance of the job is maintained If text is not converted to curves effects such as outline shadow d...

Page 351: ...affected when imported CMX colors are remapped Understanding color models The following section describes how PANTONE RGB and CMYK color models import through the CMX file converter PANTONE In CorelD...

Page 352: ...ng text file named gspcmap txt This file is located in GSP Software Palettes Each time a CMX file is imported the most recent CMX file name and all the colors included in that file are appended at the...

Page 353: ...Medal series Abrasion Guard or Matte Clear ColorSet GCX Fluorescent and GCLT L T foils Your resultant converted colors will not be correct if you create a GerberColor Spectratone combination using the...

Page 354: ...C 3 50 67 0 0 0 0 0 P 7 0 0 0 0 PANTONE Blue 072 C R 255 255 191 0 0 0 0 C 3 50 67 7 0 0 0 0 C 0 100 100 0 0 0 0 0 R 255 255 63 0 0 0 0 P 32 0 0 0 0 PANTONE 123 C C 79 65 0 5 0 0 0 0 C 10 99 92 13 0...

Page 355: ...prised of Yellow GCS 015 on top of and Orange GCS 014 is GCS 015 GCS 014 White GCS 010 Black GCS 012 Light Grey GCS 681 Grey GCS 031 Dark Grey GCS 641 Traffic Grey GSC 151 Brown GCS 019 Tan GCS 039 Be...

Page 356: ...Gold Medal GCM 731 Silver Medal GCM 720 Platinum Medal GCM 730 Red Medal GCM 783 Blue Medal GCM 747 Process Cyan GCP 707 Process Black GCP 712 Process Black CSP 012 Process Cyan CSP 607 Process Magen...

Page 357: ...apes presents solutions for converting an image into a cut shape for vinyl jobs Chapter 33 Adding Cutlines to Artwork describes the process of creating a decal cut around the outline of an image Chapt...

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Page 359: ...to a job that you are currently working on use OMEGA s import feature Composer allows you to import a variety of computer graphic formats including PDF AI EPS BMP and TIF This topic provides an overvi...

Page 360: ...which will have the same name as the imported file 6 Activate any options in the Import dialog box The availability of options depends on the filter type chosen 7 Click Options to open the Options di...

Page 361: ...embed the original image in the PLT file or you can link to the original image file The default setting is to link the image Once an image is embedded it cannot be unembedded You must delete the imag...

Page 362: ...EGA allows you to add multiple copies of an existing image to a current design To add multiple copies of an imported image to an open job 1 Click File Import Continuous to open the Import dialog box 2...

Page 363: ...e the image to appear in the design in relation to the crosshair by choosing the appropriate placement handle 8 Click OK 9 On the Composer work surface position the crosshair and click to place the im...

Page 364: ...at box is unchecked than the image is linked with a file path name Changing from a linked to an embedded image When importing opening or placing an image in an OMEGA job you can embed the original ima...

Page 365: ...o extract an imported image path 1 Select the imported image that contains a path that you intend to extract 2 Click Tools Surround Extract Image Paths to open the Option Selection dialog box 3 Select...

Page 366: ...On and Off 2 A checkmark appears next to Show Image when it is turned On Tip You can also turn on Show Image by clicking Tools Options View tab Show Image works for all the images in the design This a...

Page 367: ...nge the Bits per Pixel in a range of 1 to 24 The Resolution and Bits settings affect how the images display on your monitor and print on paper They do not affect how images output to a vinyl printer L...

Page 368: ...le Image Object IMO files one for each process color and one for the image rotation that is required when printing on a Gerber thermal printer IMO files are stored in C Seppath Due to the size of IMO...

Page 369: ...omposer image editing tools In Composer you can Size images using the standard Composer tools Crop images using the Crop Image tool in the Image Fill toolbar Select the image to be cropped click the C...

Page 370: ...Editor to be used 3 Click Open The Image Editor that you ve chosen will appear in the Image Editor field on the Images tab 4 Click Apply 5 Click OK To edit an image with an image editor 1 In Composer...

Page 371: ...way of the Edit Image command or if a new setting has been specified for that image in the Image Fill dialog box A non embedded image source file may also be modified outside of Composer for example...

Page 372: ...rce file Filling images After you have created and edited an image you will need to assign a fill to the image If the image is not filled it will not be printable and will be treated as a template To...

Page 373: ...e a vinyl palette and color from the list and click Select Choosing the halftone Halftones have two attributes type and lines per inch LPI The choices that you make can significantly change the appear...

Page 374: ...s A lower LPI setting larger dot size produces a coarser appearance especially when viewed close up but provides a greater range of gray scales The LPI setting is too high if at the intended viewing d...

Page 375: ...images instead Converting a color image to a cut shape The Posterize Image Color Raster to Vector command converts a colored image to vector shapes and selects colors for the shapes from the job s cur...

Page 376: ...ors Chosen palette 4 Click Del Note Although you are prompted to select a color the system will default to the shade closest to the color that you are replacing For example let s assume that you are a...

Page 377: ...rs Chosen palette A box appears around the color s indicating it has been selected 2 Click Del 3 Click OK The Image Posterize Generator box appears as it generates vector shapes based on this change A...

Page 378: ...poser will automatically open Raster to Vector for monochrome images In the Raster to Vector dialog box you have two options The Raster To Vector dialog box prompts you for Speck Size in Pixels to Rem...

Page 379: ...open the Raster To Vector dialog box 4 Enter a size in pixels in the Speck Size in Pixels to Remove text box 5 Choose Low Medium or High from the Resolution group box 6 Click OK The image and cut shap...

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Page 381: ...You can manually digitize shapes around objects using the box circle and line tools and then turn Cuts On Use Tools Generate Decal Cut to create cut only shapes around the footprint or perimeter of s...

Page 382: ...irectly on top of the originals as cut only clipping path or both a clipping path and a cut shape The decal cut results are grouped making it easier to isolate them 6 Once decal cut results are genera...

Page 383: ...addition this setting also creates small cut shapes on the chocolates which will need to be deleted Setting the White Threshold to More reduces the extraneous cut lines but produces a less accurate D...

Page 384: ...th either the Selection or Color Selection pointer 2 Click Tools Generate Decal Cut to open the Decal Cut dialog box 3 Choose Cut Only Clipping Path Only or Both 4 Click OK The decal cut results are p...

Page 385: ...d objects that are closed shapes get a decal cut on the OUTSIDE of the stroke Open shapes that have a stroke get a decal cut around the stroke footprint Decal cut line is shown as the black wire frame...

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Page 387: ...d object the object or objects being masked by a clipping path container Clipping path sets Clipping path container plus the collection of clipped objects Image to be clipped Clipping path container C...

Page 388: ...ating a clipping path the following rules apply Clipping paths can be edited using Detail Edit tools You can select and move the clipping path container or clipped object after the clipping path is cr...

Page 389: ...clipping paths Text can be used as a clipping path container Single lines of text are automatically grouped when used as the clipping path container Multiple lines of text must be grouped by the opera...

Page 390: ...rlapping objects are path Position objects on top of the image Results of Clipping Path when left oval Results of Clipping Path when right is on top of stacking order oval is on top of stacking order...

Page 391: ...the same layer 3 Select the container object s and the object s to be clipped and click Shape Make Clipping Path In Filled mode the screen is redrawn to show the results In Wireframe mode the wirefra...

Page 392: ...oser window Tip The Preferences button in the Select Clipping Path dialog box saves the current settings as the default settings Releasing a clipping path You can release a Clipping Path and return th...

Page 393: ...olor photographs which can be output directly to a GERBER EDGE or other printer Raster files cannot be cut on a vinyl cutter Small raster files do not scale to large sizes very well They appear pixila...

Page 394: ...lor Type and choose a spot color for the output color If printing as a full color photo click Process as the Color Type and choose GerberTone Photo STC as the Halftone type Enter an LPI value of 70 No...

Page 395: ...oints and connecting lines and curves Vector files can be output to a vinyl cutter or they can be filled with spot and process colors and printed to a GERBER EDGE or other printer The best types of ar...

Page 396: ...rce Color Space Profile simply press OK to use the default 5 Vectorize the raster image To vectorize a Black and White Image 1 Be sure the image is selected and choose Tools Raster To Vector 2 Keep th...

Page 397: ...zed results look 6 Set the Speck Size to filter out unwanted pieces of black or white specks in the artwork Higher numbers filter out larger pieces This setting does not change the smoothness of large...

Page 398: ...roperly installed choose the TWAIN device in Composer Go to Tools Options Image Tab and look for the TWAIN device section Click the Select button and choose the device to be used to bring images into...

Page 399: ...ave the image 7 After the artwork is scanned the vectorized results appear in Composer 8 The vectorized results can be saved edited or output Methods of vectorizing raster data Raster or image files c...

Page 400: ...Assign the scanner profile to scanned images as the Source profile as they are imported into Composer 4 Use the MonacoEZcolor software and a monitor calibration device to profile you monitor 5 Use the...

Page 401: ...of the interface cable into the receptacle labeled INTERFACE at the top left edge of the tablet Tighten the two screws 3 The opposite end of the interface cable has two screws and a 9 pin receptacle I...

Page 402: ...se hardware from the drop down list 7 Click Advanced to open the Advanced Port Settings dialog box 8 Turn off FIFO buffers no check and click OK to return to the Communications Port COM 1 Properties d...

Page 403: ...rials prevent the tablet and puck from functioning properly Use dark thin lines to draw the design The points will be easier to locate with the puck crosshairs Marking reference points The design need...

Page 404: ...you are digitizing For example you may have a point labeled 1 2 indicating that you will digitize and start a curve at this point Tip After completing the digitizing exercises at the end of this sect...

Page 405: ...oose File Digitize New 5 When prompted digitize the design s lower left corner using button 1 Be sure the point is outside the bottom and leftmost points of the design 6 At the next message prompt dig...

Page 406: ...or curved line at a sharp angle After turning on abrupt curve button 1 digitizes all curve points After turning off abrupt curve by clicking button 4 or F12 again button 1 digitizes straight line poi...

Page 407: ...line segments 3 Digitize all shape points with button 1 4 Click button 2 or F11 to end curve smooth 5 At the start point S close the shape with button 3 End To digitize a circle 1 In Composer click th...

Page 408: ...d select the shape to be edited and then click Shape Reopen Shape The shape opens with the puck connected to the last point digitized Press Backspace to delete points as needed Editing an existing des...

Page 409: ...on the design that will be digitized The baseline and frame points are already marked for you To begin digitizing 1 In Composer click File Digitize New A Tablet message box appears 2 At the message pr...

Page 410: ...izing and include the puck instructions for each point On your design mark the shape points with button numbers as shown before you begin to digitize To digitize the center petal Center Petal 1 Positi...

Page 411: ...t point in the direction indicated by the arrow and click button 1 again 3 Move the puck to the next point and click button 4 F12 Start Curve Abrupt and then click button 1 to digitize the point 4 Dig...

Page 412: ...uck over the point of the shape labeled with the S and digitize the first point with button 1 2 Move the puck to the next point and again click button 1 to digitize it 3 Position the puck over the nex...

Page 413: ...ipping the copies to make right handed shapes To complete the fleur de lis 1 In Composer drag a vertical guideline to the center of the center petal 2 Select the left petal and left base 3 Click Edit...

Page 414: ...on 1 Be sure the point is outside the bottom and leftmost points of the design 6 At the next message prompt digitize the design s upper right corner using button 1 Be sure the point is outside the top...

Page 415: ...keyboard or the End Shape Open on the Line toolbar to end an open shape To digitize the right wing and body 1 Mark and digitize the dove s right wing and body as shown above Note The circle enclosing...

Page 416: ...gitize the dove s breast 1 Mark and digitize the dove s breast as shown above 2 When the last point has been digitized click Shift End on the keyboard or the End Shape Open on the Line toolbar to end...

Page 417: ...d into the following chapters Chapter 37 Using the Edit Menu provides information about copying pasting undoing and redoing editing Chapter 38 Detail Editing Segments and Points of Vector Objects disc...

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Page 419: ...s Tip You can set the level of undos in Tools Options General Note You cannot undo once you save a file Copying parts or all of a design The Copy Copy To Paste Paste Special and Paste Back commands in...

Page 420: ...o paste the information at a specific location The pasted information is centered on where the right mouse click occurred to access the Paste Here Command Note The Cut command in the Edit menu removes...

Page 421: ...to copy the object and paste it on the work surface at an offset from the original Note Duplicate does not use the clipboard so anything on the clipboard can still be pasted after using the Duplicate...

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Page 423: ...the right click context menu once a Detail Edit tool is activated Selecting objects or parts of objects for editing To detail edit an object first select the object with the regular Composer Selection...

Page 424: ...require holding down the Shift key to add to any selection in any program This button basically holds down the Shift key for you so you can select or cancel select using the detail pointer without hol...

Page 425: ...t key or turn on the Selection Shift Lock button and click You can also click and drag around points to marquee select deselect or double click on points to select or deselect To cancel select all seg...

Page 426: ...the points to be aligned by clicking the points while holding the Shift and Ctrl keys All points will align to the last selected point 4 Click Detail Edit Horizontal or Vertical Align Points to open...

Page 427: ...two ways to add points to objects Use the Add Point cleaver to add points to individual objects Use the Find Intersections command in the Detail Edit menu to automatically add points to objects where...

Page 428: ...cleaver then drag the cleaver across one of the object segments to add a point Find Intersections Automatically adding points to overlapping objects Use the Find Intersections command in the Detail Ed...

Page 429: ...Property Bar Click the Delete tool to view the property bar Retain Closed Shape when this button is turned on the Delete tool will replace the deleted points with a line or curve When this button is t...

Page 430: ...n Closed Shape is turned on Only one of the following three tools can be on at any time Add Lines when Retain Closed Shapes is turned on in conjunction with the Add Lines button then a moved segment r...

Page 431: ...Grabbing when this button is turned on segments can be grabbed and moved The default is on for this tool Note At least one of the above two tools must be on at all times They both can be on at the sa...

Page 432: ...any of the selected points with the Move tool Moving points or segments incrementally The Incremental Move command in the Detail Edit menu allows you to move one or more points or segments a specific...

Page 433: ...e object remains closed even when a segment is moved How the shape behaves depends on the Property bar options chosen See the following illustrations that demonstrate how the chosen options affect the...

Page 434: ...tool the segment is separated from the original object creating two open objects When Retain is off the other three Property Bar options are unavailable Retain Off disconnects the segment from the re...

Page 435: ...3 Turn on Modify Adjacent Segments 4 Click and drag on any of the selected segments with the Detail Edit Move tool 5 You can also use the keyboard to nudge to selected segments Bending line segments W...

Page 436: ...lick the Detail Edit tool to open the Detail Edit toolbar 2 Select the curve segment you want to change 3 Click the Move tool and then choose a curve type on the Property Bar 4 Using the Move tool cli...

Page 437: ...es Tool to view the property bar Only one of the following three tools can be on at any time Join with a Line when this button is turned on then segments are joined with a line The default is on Join...

Page 438: ...bjects The Slice and Dice tool allows you to divide a single object into two or more objects An example of using this tool is to apply different colors to different parts of a design These colors coul...

Page 439: ...Edit tool bar applies a radius to a corner by clicking and dragging over a corner or by single point clicking on a segment or node Once the round corner is created you can alter the radius using the m...

Page 440: ...To make sharp corners using the Sharp Corner tool 1 Select the objects with the corners to be sharpened with the Selection pointer 2 Click the Detail Edit tool to open the Detail Edit toolbar 3 Click...

Page 441: ...ngth of the shortest line segment 7 Click Continue To make corners pointed using Fillet Corner 1 Click the Detail Edit tool to open the Detail Edit toolbar 2 Select the curve segment and the two adjac...

Page 442: ...tool marquee select over the line segments to be smoothed or by clicking on an individual segment To smooth objects 1 Surround the segments or object to modify with the Smooth Path tool or click on t...

Page 443: ...fter drawing Zero percent means no smoothing while 100 percent is maximum smoothing When the Allow Segments to Connect button is turned on then if the open shape drawn is within the snap to distance o...

Page 444: ...oints of Vector Objects Set start points in multiple shapes using a single click and drag Select the shapes and click and drag the Set Point and Direction tool through the shapes A start point is inse...

Page 445: ...g the Thin command in the Tools menu Removing points To remove points in an entire object use the Thin command in the Tools menu To remove points from only detail selected segments use the Thin comman...

Page 446: ...ep Corners Less Than 45 degrees or lower and a high value for Error Tolerance between 2 and 1 Turn off Check Error between points Use a high value for Keep Corners Less Than between 100 and 180 degree...

Page 447: ...omatically turns off because it has no effect unless all three choices are on Controlling the number of points thinned The number of points thinned from an object is controlled by the Keep Corners Les...

Page 448: ...nce you allow the program to use when it considers removing points The effect of Error Tolerance is slightly different when applied using Thin Lines and changing Lines to Curves With Thin Lines tighte...

Page 449: ...s when thinning To allow free flowing curves when converting lines to curves Minimizing distortion The Check Error Between Points check box minimizes error distortion between points when thinning In t...

Page 450: ...seen unless magnified After thinning Keep Corners Less Than 0 Degrees Error Tolerance 0 08 most points are removed and all line segments are converted to curves Because of the extreme number of points...

Page 451: ...o text and shapes Chapter 41 Adding Shadows tells you how to give three dimensional appearances to shapes using shade drop or cast shadows Chapter 42 Distorting and Warping Objects provides distortion...

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Page 453: ...laced behind the original object s Each pass allows you to choose a single corner type for that pass In this example both passes use a pointed corner type There is only one outline per pass in the fol...

Page 454: ...u can choose to hide originals encase originals or contour the original object Outlines can be smart edited by double clicking the object after outlines are applied To remove outlines smart edit the o...

Page 455: ...the inner shapes or text Negative outlines shrink outer solid shapes and expand inner shapes or text Corner type applies only to the outlines that expand the shape or text Hiding encasing and contouri...

Page 456: ...kness to a straight line or outlining an open object This option can be useful for making neon patterns To choose the encase option 1 Select an open object 2 Click Tools Outline to open the Outline di...

Page 457: ...box all the outlines are evenly spaced according to the outline distance you set in the Outline dialog box Clicking on one of the Standard Distributions buttons changes that spacing as follows Unifor...

Page 458: ...epresents the edge of the object 8 Click OK in the Advanced Outline dialog box 9 Click OK in the Outline dialog box Moving individual outlines by measurement When moving individual outlines the one yo...

Page 459: ...ge of the object The black bars represent other outlines Use the following procedure to change one or more individual outlines To move an individual outline graphically 1 Select the object to outline...

Page 460: ...ect the object to outline 2 Click Tools Outline to open the Outline dialog box 3 Choose the Pass Corner Type Number of Outlines and the Outline Distance 4 Click Advanced to open the Advanced Outline d...

Page 461: ...ple of various settings follows Saving the outline for later use Save an offset pattern with File Save in the Advanced Outline dialog box Later you can use that outline pattern in another job with Fil...

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Page 463: ...ind the original shape Use the Shadow dialog box to create a shadow and specify its characteristics including type location size and output option To create a shadow 1 Click Tools Shadow to open the S...

Page 464: ...roke of the original Angle determines the position of the shadow based on the lower left corner of the shape Positive angles create a shadow above the selected design and negative angles create a shad...

Page 465: ...t three quarters of the height of the original shape creates more pleasing results Slant is the position of the shadow from the original shape Any angle up to 45 degrees may be entered A positive valu...

Page 466: ...can use the Cut On Off tools to control how print shapes are cut If you want to cut the printed original and shadow as a single piece however then it is more efficient to use the Both selection Refer...

Page 467: ...ief group box will produce what is called Negative Relief Negative Relief creates a small overlap on a selected shape The largest negative value allowed is 1 and may be used with both Surround and Dir...

Page 468: ...p Because Both automatically makes the correct print cut assignments it is the recommended method for printing a design with shadows to be cut as a single piece To choose an output option of Both 1 Cr...

Page 469: ...ult appears in the working area The following shows how the vinyl shape and shadow pieces are cut separately and placed next to each other similar to puzzle pieces To create a vinyl only job with part...

Page 470: ...olor Selection tool and select the shape s 3 Choose a fill color from a foil palette 4 Deselect the shape 5 Choose a second color from the palette 6 Select the shape with the Selection tool 7 Click To...

Page 471: ...g you can preview the design If the design displays correctly it should print and cut correctly Also viewing a design in Wireframe mode can help you to understand how and why the various portions of a...

Page 472: ...the design as it will look in vinyl The example shows a gray background and black and white vinyl colors Use the vinyl color palette to change the colors if desired Exercise 2 Creating a shadow with p...

Page 473: ...idth 8 Deselect the box To select a fill and create the shadow 1 Click the Fill tool to reopen the Assign Colors dialog box 2 Define the fill color for the shadow as Fill Type Solid Color Cobalt Blue...

Page 474: ...nt to print and cut the box and its shadow as separate pieces click on View Wireframe to view the cut print lines for the design If you want to create print only output and not cut the design select b...

Page 475: ...larendon Bold 6 Deselect the text To select a fill and create the shadow 1 To change shadow color click the Fill tool to reopen the Assign Colors dialog box 2 In the Assign Colors dialog box choose Ty...

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Page 477: ...addition you can custom make an envelope to perfectly match your design Distorting and warping objects is not an exact science Experiment with these tools until you achieve the effect you want Distort...

Page 478: ...ontaining a single gradient When distorted as a group the shapes will have the appearance of the original single shape with a gradient that follows the path of the distortion To do this export shapes...

Page 479: ...urn to the work surface if you turn on the envelope in the Warp dialog box To use a custom envelope 1 Create the warp envelope 2 Create the object to be warped 3 Press and hold Shift Select the envelo...

Page 480: ...ope has handles particular for that envelope In this example the handles are for the horizontal squeeze envelope When you put the cursor on the Warp dialog box work surface and move one of the handles...

Page 481: ...Curves Editing Point Smooth curves provide a smooth transition between curves Sharp curves provide a sharp transition between curve segments Symmetric curves provide equal handle movement on either s...

Page 482: ...468 Chapter 42 Distorting and Warping Objects 6 Click OK to return the warp to the work surface To remove the warp Smart Edit and click Warp Off...

Page 483: ...dialog box That object becomes the path For example first create a box circle or any other design to use as a path and then enter text that will fit to that path The examples and instructions below a...

Page 484: ...de in the dialog box You can undo the last 100 changes in the order they were made Redo Last Undo restores changes reversed by Undo Last Change You can restore the last 100 undos in the order they wer...

Page 485: ...ion text 1 Click Left Justify to justify text with the starting point of the path to the left of the text 2 Click Center Justify to justify text on the entire path In the example above since the path...

Page 486: ...ving text above or below the path The Baseline Shift tool allows you to move text above or below a closed or open path The text does not need to be selected and all the text is moved Use the Snap to B...

Page 487: ...line The percentage is shown in the Manual Entry text box 6 Release the mouse button when the text is at the desired position above or below the path The text will redraw in the new position Tip You c...

Page 488: ...s the size of all the text Text Height changes the overall size of the text proportionally so that it expands or contracts along the path To change the height of text 1 Click Text Height 2 Put the too...

Page 489: ...ath 1 Click the Reverse Text Path command to reverse the path 2 Click again to return the path to the original path Hiding the path The Hide Text Path command makes the path invisible in both the dial...

Page 490: ...exactly vertical and perpendicular to the horizontal baseline In the example on the right the angle is 45 from the horizontal The Relative Angle tool tilts each character in relation to the correspond...

Page 491: ...to Path dialog box 4 Click either Absolute or Relative Angle tool in the Fit Text to Path dialog box The Get Measured Angle button becomes active 5 Click the Get Measured Angle button to paste the va...

Page 492: ...1 2 Draw a box 3 x 3 3 Select the box and then click Tools Repeats Merge 4 Choose 8 X repeats 5 Holding the shift key down select the circle first then all the boxes 6 Click Tools Fit Text to Path 7 C...

Page 493: ...n tool to select all the text 8 Click the Space tool Drag the text so that the path is completely filled 9 Click the Hide Text Path command 10 Click OK to return to the work surface The result should...

Page 494: ...Unzoom tool reverses the magnification in increments Each click steps back through the levels of magnification The tool is unavailable until you use the Zoom tool Using the Unzoom tool The Unzoom tool...

Page 495: ...ovides opportunities to enhance shapes and designs Choices include such effects as clouds patio bricks sidewalk cracks grass flames and more Using the Effects dialog box The Effects dialog box is only...

Page 496: ...p to bottom or bottom to top placement Contour creates a silhouette from the outside edges of the combined overlaying shapes To open the Effects dialog box 1 Select the shape 2 Click Tools Effects to...

Page 497: ...uccessful Note A group can be a single shape or a set of shapes Select no more than two groups from the working area when using Special Effects Results Combine incoming Shape Groups A and B for the fo...

Page 498: ...ecial Effects dialog box 4 Choose one of the Effects in the Effects group box 5 Click Continue Note If you select A B a Keep B check box appears If you select B A a Keep A check box appears Tip Smart...

Page 499: ...nd Gap Fixed Turn on the Fixed check box if a specific number of stripes is desired When the Fixed check box is turned on both the Number of Stripes text box and the Fixed Entry group box become avail...

Page 500: ...eck box near the Number of Stripes option is turned on Set Both Lets you enter size value for both Stripe and Gap Set Stripe Lets you enter a value for the Stripe The Gap size is calculated for you Eq...

Page 501: ...ripe text box 7 Click Continue To create two color horizontal stripes 1 Select two objects or groups 2 Click Tools Effects to open the Effects dialog box 3 Click Stripes to open the Stripes dialog box...

Page 502: ...te and Partials Relief Info The Info group box lets you enter the Number of Layers desired in the shape up to 100 Spacing The Spacing group box gives you the choice of entering values for Depth and An...

Page 503: ...he lower left corner of the shape Positive angles create a layer above the selected design and negative angles create a layer below the selected design An angle between 0 and 180 degrees creates a lay...

Page 504: ...of the layer X places the layer on a horizontal plane to right or left of the original shape according to the value entered Y places the layer on a vertical plane above or below the original shape acc...

Page 505: ...esign on a thermal printer the original and subsequent layers are printed with separate foil colors on the same piece of vinyl You can use the Cut Off tool to control how selected shapes are cut Relie...

Page 506: ...ght Right to Left for best results arrange the text or shapes horizontally with about a 200 horizontal spacing Top to Bottom Bottom to Top arrange the text or shapes vertically rather than horizontall...

Page 507: ...olor to an odd shape all odds are assigned the same color To create text with Overlap 1 Select two objects or groups 2 Click Tools Effects to open the Effects dialog box 3 Click Special to open the Ov...

Page 508: ...new results To remove a Contour smart edit the design and click Contour Off Using Effects Library The Effects Library contains a variety of shapes and textures to enhance design Use the Effects Libra...

Page 509: ...A first than B 2 Click Tools Effects to open the Effects dialog box 3 Choose an Effect Effects Library Examples Following are some examples of the variety of effects you can create when combining Effe...

Page 510: ...NINE RESTAURANT in the center of the clouds graphic 3 Select the text first then the clouds 4 Click Tools Effects Contour Continue Ball example using Layers Use the ball from the library graphics and...

Page 511: ...hey were delivered on So safeguard those disks However libraries of your own files cannot be restored from any external media unless you have backed them up To back up libraries 1 Place a disk into it...

Page 512: ...498 Chapter 44 Creating Special Effects...

Page 513: ...oups of shapes You can repeat in different directions or at an angle and also change the size of the shape as you repeat Chapter 46 Merging Text and Numbers introduces you to a powerful tool that allo...

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Page 515: ...of repeats is 65535 You can enter a value between 1 and 65534 in either X and Y Repeats boxes Repeating in a line matrix or diagonal pattern There are two settings in the Repeats Merge dialog box that...

Page 516: ...turn on Gap or Center to Center and enter values in the X and Y text box 4 In the Layout box turn on Diagonal to create repeats diagonally across the work surface Clear the check box to create repeat...

Page 517: ...s Smart Edit the repeated objects to open Advanced Repeats and click Repeat Off To create a line of repeats with incremental spacing 1 Select the object then click Tools Advanced Repeats to open the A...

Page 518: ...tration Setting the direction and alignment of the repeats The Direction option allows you to repeat the original object in four different directions The Alignment option allows you to specify the ali...

Page 519: ...ection from the drop down list Right Left Up or Down 6 In the Size Change group box enter a size percentage value in the X or Y text box or both 7 Choose an Alignment from the drop down list Left Cent...

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Page 521: ...ther non text shapes with either the merge file or numbers Text Merge and AutoNumbers can be Smart Edited by double clicking on the job in Composer Repeating and merging text With the Repeat Merge fun...

Page 522: ...nd placeholder in Composer If there is no information for one of the lines of a record leave that line blank by entering a carriage return 6 After typing the last line enter a carriage return and save...

Page 523: ...ed text in Composer and have created the merge text file you are ready to set the number of repeats and merge parameters for your job Set all parameters on all tabs before clicking OK If you only want...

Page 524: ...between the centers of repeated text Set different values for X and Y distances if desired 7 Click the Text Merge tab to select the file to merge and continue with the standard procedure as described...

Page 525: ...ext such as the words Room Number with a number that will be increased or decreased each time you repeat This procedure creates four repeats of Room Number with autonumbers 101 102 103 and 104 To repe...

Page 526: ...7 Choose Gap in the Spacing group box to set the space between the edges of repeated text Set different values for X and Y gaps if desired This example uses 1 for the X and Y gaps 8 Choose Center to C...

Page 527: ...a complex series of numbers Using both AutoNumber One and AutoNumber Two group boxes allows you to create a more complex series of numbers You can increment two sets of numbers for the same job such...

Page 528: ...t and the Merge text and AutoNumber placeholders For example Reserved Space 1 is for 1 2 Click Tools Repeats Merge to open the Repeats tab of the Repeats Merge dialog box 3 Set the Repeat parameters 4...

Page 529: ...ew fonts Chapter 48 Viewing and Printing Installed Fonts describes the Font View program which allows you to view and print entire fonts as well as individual characters Chapter 49 Converting TrueType...

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Page 531: ...nts installed and available for use in Composer The first time you open Font Manager the list shows over 200 fonts installed as part of OMEGA This list varies depending on the level of OMEGA The right...

Page 532: ...he notation From This shows the location of the font CD Normally this location is your CD drive although it could be another location if you are accessing the font CD over a network Installing fonts f...

Page 533: ...pport 7 Click OK and the fonts you have selected install in the C GSP GSPFonts folder as shown in the Install To menu item of Font Manager Fonts in the font pack that were not selected are made availa...

Page 534: ...Click the Show Styles menu item then click Show Installed Show Uninstalled or Show Both to open the Select Styles to Display dialog box Click on one or more styles to highlight them and then click OK...

Page 535: ...r Viewer Options dialog box then when choosing View Font only those characters display To view specific font characters 1 In Font Manager click Options to open the Font Manager Viewer Options dialog b...

Page 536: ...displayed list To rename a font style category 1 Right click the GSP Tray icon in the lower right hand corner of the task bar and choose Font Manager to open the Gerber Font Manager dialog box 2 Righ...

Page 537: ...alog box 2 Click Styles Create Modify User Styles to open the Create Modify User Font Styles dialog box 3 Click Add Style to open the End User Style Description dialog box 4 Enter a new style in the D...

Page 538: ...me when the font is assigned to that style Renaming a User Font Style You can rename a custom User Font Style that you have created To rename a font style category 1 Right click the GSPTray icon in th...

Page 539: ...gory 1 Right click the GSPTray icon and choose Font Manager to open the Gerber Font Manager dialog box 2 Click Styles Create Modify User Styles to open the Create Modify User Font Styles dialog box 3...

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Page 541: ...Font View can be opened from the Font Select dialog box of Enter Edit Text or you can open Font View from Windows To open Font View from Windows 1 Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA Font View to open the...

Page 542: ...font list 4 A preview of the selected font appears in the Character box Use the up or down arrows of the Characters box to change the preview character To view the list of installed fonts from GSPTray...

Page 543: ...rs 1 Open Font View and click File Fonts The Please wait while fonts are enumerated message box displays as the list of fonts is built Upon completion the Font Select dialog box opens 2 In the Font li...

Page 544: ...e buttons Turn off to display the characters in wire frame mode Character attributes Show Points turn on to display individual character in outline mode with connection points Show Filled turn on to d...

Page 545: ...he font to the printer as a bitmap Printing the installed fonts In Font View you can print a list of font titles and file names of the installed fonts You can also print font character sets to use as...

Page 546: ...off Send bitmaps to the printer instead of vectors and reprint In the Fonts Selected for Printing dialog box you can specify how the font will print Measurement mode choose inches centimeters millimet...

Page 547: ...e font set s Previewing the font character sets before printing You can preview the font character sets before printing to ensure the proper printed results Print Preview provides controls to zoom in...

Page 548: ...ttings as described in To print the font character set 5 Click OK to open the Font View print preview dialog box 6 Use the toolbar buttons to change the view or scroll through the pages Tip If you are...

Page 549: ...ntext Sensitive Help There are two ways to access Font View depending on your method of text entry TOWS or Enter Edit Text Tip You can change how a font displays in Font View Settings Font characteris...

Page 550: ...e Font View and return to Composer 8 Click the TOWS tool 9 Choose the same font that you chose in Font View 10 Click Edit Paste The copied character appears on the work space To locate and copy a char...

Page 551: ...rs 5 Click the character to copy Font View displays an enlarged image of the character 6 Click Edit Copy 7 Close Font View to return to the Font Select dialog box 8 Click F11 change to return to the E...

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Page 553: ...d results For additional information on accessing characters that are not on the standard keyboard such as the cent sign refer to Entering special characters Using Font Converter TrueType fonts are lo...

Page 554: ...unless you choose another percentage 50 to 150 You can choose characters other than the letter H as the height line template When you choose a different character the font converts to 100 of that cho...

Page 555: ...verted from the Installed Fonts list 3 Type a new name in the New Font Title text box 4 If you would like to assign a style to the converted font click Styles to open the Set Font Styles dialog box 5...

Page 556: ...temporarily removed from the Installed Fonts list so that you don t inadvertently convert them again When you close and reopen the TrueType Font Converter program all the fonts are listed To batch co...

Page 557: ...job Changing non connected TrueType fonts to connected fonts Though some TrueType fonts appear to have connecting characters such as script fonts a closer view could reveal that the characters overlap...

Page 558: ...llows flexibility for setting up kerning pairs Customized kerning is a four step process Creating a working directory folder Using the TrueType Font Converter to disjoin characters Using Composer to c...

Page 559: ...font to be converted 3 Click Disjoin to display the Browse for folder dialog box 4 Choose the directory you created where the disjoined character PLT files will be stored 5 Click OK to return to the T...

Page 560: ...s The height of the characters is determined by the height of the H from the previous steps If you choose to ignore the height of the H the program will use whatever height existed when the font was o...

Page 561: ...nversion is complete the Kern Setup dialog box opens 10 If you wish to adjust the kerning for individual characters refer to Setting kern pairs When finished click Process to display the Kern Process...

Page 562: ...TrueType fonts The following provides additional information when working with TrueType fonts Windows TrueType fonts To access existing Windows TrueType fonts without converting them use the Enter Ed...

Page 563: ...stored from the OMEGA font CD To back up font files 1 Place a disk into its drive This could be a floppy disk into the A drive a writable CD ROM into the CD burner or a Zip Disk into the Zip drive 2 U...

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Page 565: ...Font Designer program It includes guidelines for the different ways of inputting the artwork the required processing in Composer and file naming conventions Creation of the artwork for the font is bey...

Page 566: ...t in Font Designer Standard single byte fonts contain fewer than 256 characters STANDARD Connected fonts are designed so that adjacent characters join each other Clean out fonts contain a clean out to...

Page 567: ...ach character saved in its own PLT file Designing in Composer allows you to build a clean out font with a router tool path or simply use the detail editing tools to modify existing characters Tablet d...

Page 568: ...nection points When digitizing the character points a and b should be the same distance apart as the length of the baseline as shown See Editing the Baseline for more information on changing the size...

Page 569: ...Composer 2 Use the Composer Line tool to digitize each character Refer to Freehand drawing for instructions on using the Line tool in Composer 3 In Composer align each character on the baseline and s...

Page 570: ...t a scanned character to improve its appearance See Editing scanned characters for more information 8 Select one character at a time and save it to its own PLT file using the Copy to command according...

Page 571: ...create clean out characters 1 Access a font from the Composer program 2 Make a note of the height from the Height text box located in the Enter Edit Text dialog box You need to enter this height when...

Page 572: ...design and is shown on the disk with a BE Bezier extension The second file contains the same font with an SP Spacing extension The SP file controls the character spacing and may or may not contain spe...

Page 573: ...or Folder dialog box 2 Click the folder you have created to hold the URW fonts and click OK 3 Click File Font Settings to open the Font Settings dialog box The URW font name appears in the Font Title...

Page 574: ...have the BE file for the URW font you must set the kerning when converting the font in Font Designer There are two types of kerning URW with traditional spacing URW with Gerber kerning To convert URW...

Page 575: ...en finished The converted font is now available for use in Composer Converting a URW font with Gerber kerning 1 Open Font Designer and click File Set Directory to open the Browse for Folder dialog box...

Page 576: ...s you to align characters so that they are perfectly horizontal and proportionately sized or scaled There are several Composer tools and techniques you can use to do this The basic aligning and scalin...

Page 577: ...o scale multiple characters 4 Click Layout Horizontal Guideline to again access the Set Horizontal Guideline dialog box 5 In the Y location field enter the height of your font for example 6 to represe...

Page 578: ...cessing the characters will not be as close together as they should be and may not join properly To edit the Baseline 1 In Composer select the text to be aligned 2 Click Edit Change Baseline A message...

Page 579: ...s are the same size Tip To make it easier to position characters that should be slightly above the height line or below the base line click Layout Unconstrain to remove the Snap to Guidelines and On a...

Page 580: ...letter height in the Height box The length will be automatically updated 6 Click OK The character will be resized on the OMEGA work space Positioning characters When positioning characters some of th...

Page 581: ...s at the 0 0 point of the horizontal and vertical guidelines Note Absolute Move will not correctly position characters with descenders such as the lower case letter y at the 0 0 point OMEGA moves char...

Page 582: ...n the keyboard For example the number 87 in the file key87 plt relates the file to the uppercase W When you press Shift W whatever you have stored in that file appears on the screen Naming standard ch...

Page 583: ...Y46 U KEY85 u KEY117 KEY44 V KEY86 v KEY118 KEY34 W KEY87 w KEY119 KEY35 X KEY88 x KEY120 KEY42 Y KEY89 y KEY121 KEY33 Z KEY90 z KEY122 KEY59 KEY37 KEY45 KEY43 KEY91 KEY93 KEY123 KEY125 Naming accente...

Page 584: ...saved a character as key191 plt and you want to use that character in your design first turn on NumLock hold down the Alt key and enter the key combination 0191 into the numeric keypad Then release t...

Page 585: ...ld 7 Click Save to return to the Composer work space Saving character groups When you created your job in Composer you may have entered an entire word or even the alphabet as a group The Copy To comma...

Page 586: ...ry Specify the directory where you have saved the individual PLT files for each font character Following is an example of a standard font subdirectory path C Jobs HELVETIC To specify the directory 1 C...

Page 587: ...cter Displays the amount of space between 0 and 12 or 0 304 80mm assigned to the space bar The system automatically assigns a Space Character value based on the Cap Height Line value Note Make a note...

Page 588: ...ong Kern Table GRAPHIX ADVANTAGE systems only Turn on this check box to use a long kern table to duplicate URW font character spacing space GSP font characters consistently Arabic Font Check if you ar...

Page 589: ...hanical spacing turn on the Select the Long Kern Table check box Note Make a note of the Font Title Font Number Capital Height Line and Space Character values so that you will be able to add additiona...

Page 590: ...acters in a single byte font When kerning connected characters follow these guidelines Turn kerning off when the character connects on both the right and left sides Turn kerning on if a character does...

Page 591: ...references can be saved at a time To set the kerning 1 In Font Designer click Setup on the menu bar The Making Font message appears as the PLT files contained in the font are collected The Kern Setup...

Page 592: ...sed on the shape of the adjacent edges of all characters in the font The more passes chosen the more precise the kerning Choose the number of passes 1 2 3 or 4 by clicking on the desired value The sys...

Page 593: ...fonts can not be selected in TOWS To access a font using TOWS 1 Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA Composer 2 Click the Text on the Work Surface tool to open the TOWS toolbar 3 Choose the font from the fo...

Page 594: ...font titles in the Font list box and select the title of the font you just built 5 Click F11 Change to return to the Enter Edit text box 6 In the Enter Edit text box type the desired text 7 Click F11...

Page 595: ...nes 1 Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA Composer 2 Click Tools Options View to open the View tab of the Options dialog box 3 Turn on Guidelines and Baseline Tip Click Preference to save the View settings...

Page 596: ...e screen returns to the Composer work area 3 Repeat the process of opening the file moving the character and saving the file for each character until you have captured all the characters It is not nec...

Page 597: ...ter values in case you want to add additional characters to the font 7 Clear the Long Kern Table check box 8 Click OK to enter the information and return to the Font Designer menu Note The Block Desce...

Page 598: ...hould digitize the characters below save them and process them through Font Designer To create the directory Use Windows Explorer to create a subdirectory with the path C JOBS CONNECT To create the ch...

Page 599: ...ntered as the Capital Heightline value in the Font Settings dialog box The character usually used to determine this value is the uppercase A but for this exercise use the M Tip If a character needs to...

Page 600: ...d makes the font The Kern Setup dialog box opens 2 Click each PLT file individually As a PLT file is chosen it is highlighted and the file name appears at the top of the list box The current character...

Page 601: ...Composer The characters display in the work area 7 Save all of the characters on screen in one file Note Gerber recommends saving all the characters in a clean out font in one file When the PLT file c...

Page 602: ...k File Save Plot File to display the Save As dialog box 9 Choose PLT as the file type 10 Click OK to save the file containing the cleaned out characters 11 Close the ART Path program Note Make a note...

Page 603: ...aracter to be saved 7 Repeat steps 1 5 for each character included in the font To set the directory 1 Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA Font Designer 2 Click File Set Directory to display the Set Directo...

Page 604: ...ering the font settings click Process to begin building the font The Kern Process dialog box opens Adjust the Kern Factor and number of passes 2 Click Process A status box opens and installs the font...

Page 605: ...t the job by converting the file to a different format using either Composer s File Export command or clicking Start Programs OMEGA File Converter Chapter 51 Sending the Job to a Plotter or Printer pr...

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Page 607: ...cts only Output by Vinyl Output by Layer Tip The output commands are available on the output toolbar Click View Toolbars and turn on output to display the toolbar Outputting the entire job Use the Out...

Page 608: ...t By Vinyl command in the File menu You can output the entire job or just specific vinyl colors Choose which vinyl to send to GSPPlot in the Output By Vinyl dialog box Tip To save vinyl turn on Reduce...

Page 609: ...ting the entire job Use the ImageRIP All command in the File menu to send the entire job to the ImageRIP program To output the entire job 1 Click File ImageRIP All 2 ImageRIP opens with the job displa...

Page 610: ...rint a job on a paper printer Click File Print to send the job to the printer To preview the job before printing Click File Print Preview or click the Print Preview button in the Print dialog box The...

Page 611: ...color printout Tip If the job contains an image and you choose the Filled Output Type make sure you turn on Tools Options View Show Image so that the image prints 4 Choose the Size No Scaling to prin...

Page 612: ...ype If you are zoomed in turn on Print Window Only to print only the currently visible portion of the job Turn on Templates to print filled images that are identified as templates in the Image Fill di...

Page 613: ...file via e mail using the File Send command in Composer To send a job by e mail 1 Save and name the PLT job file 2 Click File Send to open your e mail system composer message dialog box The PLT file...

Page 614: ...600 Chapter 51 Sending the Job to a Plotter or Printer...

Page 615: ...verse them you need to change the print order and this chapter also provides that procedure Chapter 57 Multiple Copies in GSPPlot discusses when to make copies repeats in Composer when to make them in...

Page 616: ...602 Chapter 65 Gerber Queue Manager provides procedures for opening Gerber Queue Manager and using timesaving techniques when preparing jobs for printing and cutting...

Page 617: ...or a specified vinyl to GSPPlot Tip The file does not have to be saved to send it to GSPPlot To send a complete job from Composer to GSPPlot Click File Output All to open the current job in gspplot Q...

Page 618: ...n previous versions of OMEGA that did not support layers If you want to maintain layers for ease of printing and cutting send the job to GSPPlot using the Output by Layers command or turn on Output by...

Page 619: ...this option to ensure that the objects on that layer are output in the correct location compared to other objects in the job 5 Click OK gspplot QuickPlot opens with the objects of the selected layer d...

Page 620: ...SP OMEGA GSPPlot Tip Use the standard Windows dragging and dropping function to open files in GSPPlot Closing Windows Close active jobs by clicking the close box in its upper right corner of the windo...

Page 621: ...ck the Reverse button to create a mirror image The Weed Border button allows you to toggle between Weed Border On Weed Border Special and Weed Border Off Click the Repeats button to open the Repeats a...

Page 622: ...o print Use the Prior Vinyl PgUp button to toggle between layers and vinyl colors Use the Next Vinyl PgDn button to toggle between layers and vinyl colors This button opens the Start End Position dial...

Page 623: ...menu you can hide the Summary and Status Bar to increase your working area A check beside the menu items indicates that it is active Ruler Properties Rulers Summary Bar Status Bar To turn off the Summ...

Page 624: ...f measure You can change the unit of measure of the rulers in the Rulers Properties dialog box When you change the unit of measure from English to Metric or Metric to English you must also change the...

Page 625: ...ick and drag the slider to change the ruler s width 4 Click Apply To change the ruler s font 1 Click Ruler Properties to open the Ruler Properties dialog box 2 Click the Font tab 3 Choose a font from...

Page 626: ...GSPPlot a window automatically opens and displays the job You may open multiple jobs in GSPPlot The default for Recent File List in the File menu is the last four jobs opened in GSPPlot The Cascade an...

Page 627: ...on the job The Zoom commands allow you to control the viewing distance of your job To zoom in 1 Click View Zoom In 2 Click and drag the Zoom tool around the area of the job to magnify To zoom out 1 l...

Page 628: ...only job choose Vinyl only in conjunction with Preview to accurately display layered text and shapes To view print only or print and cut objects Click View Show Print To view cut only or print and cu...

Page 629: ...urn on or turn off any message 4 Click OK to return to GSPPlot Setting up Image Thumbnail in GSPPlot Thumbnail settings in the Options dialog box allows you to change the view of images to Low Medium...

Page 630: ...GSPPlot 1 In GSPPlot click Tools Options to open the Options dialog box 2 In the window at the left click Image 3 Use the Resolution slider to change the image resolution to Low Medium or High 4 Use t...

Page 631: ...M A Parameter PRM file contains the variables established when the file is setup for printing and cutting When sending a job to the plotter or printer GSPPlot creates and saves a PRM file You can also...

Page 632: ...Files of type list 4 Choose a file to open Open several files by holding the Ctrl or Shift keys while selecting several file names A thumbnail of the last file selected displays in the Preview box 5...

Page 633: ...t Options dialog box Click Setup Print Options or the button to open the Print Options dialog box in GSPPlot The Output by Layer check box is in the top left corner Choose the layer to output from the...

Page 634: ...nd Targets Because each layer behaves like a separate job each layer in a thermal print job will get targets if targets are turned on GSPPlot Toolbar Click the Output by Layer button on the GSPPlot to...

Page 635: ...OFF each layer will follow the previous layer The Rewind Between Layers option supercedes the end position of the Start End Position dialog box Layers to Output When the Output by Layer dialog box is...

Page 636: ...o create multiple SPL files you may elect to run Batch Save Spool Files overnight Batch Save Spool Files offer several options that ensure trouble free unattended processing of SPL files When creating...

Page 637: ...colors and cut objects as they are applied to the vinyl See Viewing a spool file for detailed information If you choose Send File to EDGE MAXX 2 you save an SPL file and output the information to the...

Page 638: ...e 3 Repeat this process for each PLT file in your batch 4 Click File Batch Save Spool File to open the Open dialog box 5 Choose the folder from Look in 6 Choose the files to batch process from the lis...

Page 639: ...eded for SPL files that contain the necessary rendering information 12 Turn off Beep When Finished since the system is unattended 13 Click Start To Batch Save Spool Files when the system is attended 1...

Page 640: ...g a spool file for a layered job by default only the active layer at the time the SPL file was created is contained in a SPL spool file Alternately you can adjust the settings in the Select Color dial...

Page 641: ...nt active layer All selected layers of a multi layered job Each foil color displays as a separation When the job is longer than 12 it is separated into bands These bands accurately represent each 12 s...

Page 642: ...in the spool file View Next Band displays the next section of the displayed foil View Previous Band displays the prior section of the displayed foil Turn on Show White Space to see the job in its enti...

Page 643: ...fferent operators OMEGA allows you to attach valuable processing information to a job such as any changes in vinyl or foil by using Job Instructions When there is a message in the Job Instructions dia...

Page 644: ...aging Files in GSPPlot To add special instructions to a job 1 Click Setup Job Instructions to open the Job Instructions dialog box 2 Type the notes you want to attach to the job in the Instructions te...

Page 645: ...ientation Printing a job on transparent material When printing on clear materials such as static cling or Gerber 220 Scotchcal Clear Enamel Receptive you may need to reverse the print order to maintai...

Page 646: ...at the bottom of the list Printing a job on heat transfer paper When printing on heat transfer paper you need to reverse the print order to maintain the appearance of a job once it is transferred to f...

Page 647: ...ltiple images of a job that does not contain panels Repeat a non paneled job by entering the number of repeat images along the X and Y axis X axis repeats are placed side by side along the length of t...

Page 648: ...value in the Y Repeats text box to choose the number of repeats to place along the Y axis You must enter a number within the range shown 4 Turn on Inplace Repeats 5 Click OK Setting the distance betw...

Page 649: ...f panels on the vinyl To copy a paneled job 1 Click Layout Repeats to open the Repeats and Copies dialog box 2 Enter a value in the Enter Number of Copies text box to choose the number of copies you w...

Page 650: ...636 Chapter 57 Multiple Copies in GSPPlot 2 Click View Full View to return to the default view which displays the job without the repeats or copies...

Page 651: ...ompression of the length or by changing the scale When processing a large job resize a job to print a smaller version as a proof Changing the size of a job proportionally In Layout change the size of...

Page 652: ...ncrease or decrease the size by a factor as opposed to a specific length A scale of 1 00 outputs a job at full size a scale of 0 5 outputs the job at half the size a scale of 1 5 outputs the job at 50...

Page 653: ...ength 1 Click Layout Layout to open the Layout dialog box 2 In the Size group box enter a value in the Forced Length text box or enter a percentage in the text box 3 Click Continue Choosing specific l...

Page 654: ...r the checkbox to create a flattened print order 3 Choose the layers vinyls or foils not to output by clearing their checkboxes 4 When outputting by layer turn on Rewind Between Layers to have each la...

Page 655: ...k Foil Only to eliminate the process color foil prompts The printer requests black foil before printing Each process color separation is automatically labeled for easy identification To create film po...

Page 656: ...orm a substitution or to turn off the substitution In the drop down menu you also have the ability to choose Double Print Double printing each foil on the EDGE EDGE 2 EDGE FX or GERBER MAXX 2 may enha...

Page 657: ...s dialog box displays the new foil color To turn off a substitute foil color 1 Click Setup Print Options 2 Click Substitute to open the Substitute message box 3 Click Foil to display the Substitute Fo...

Page 658: ...rColor Spectratone colors Occasionally when printing Spectratone colors the bottom base color may show as a halo around the top color To reduce the bottom layer of the Spectratone color you can change...

Page 659: ...containing a process color filled image in the GSPPlot program 2 Click Setup Print Options to open the Print Options dialog box 3 Turn on the Auto Select check box To manually choose color correction...

Page 660: ...rection Altering Print Settings Whether you use the originally specified vinyl family or change families with the Substitute Vinyl Family dialog box in the Print Options dialog box the GSPPlot program...

Page 661: ...erprint foils The MAXX 2 auto adjusts the heat use to apply each foil Print Settings gives you the ability to change that heat setting For example if a foil is cracking then the heat setting may be to...

Page 662: ...t does not cut A special weed border allows you to maintain the spacing of the weed border without actually plotting or cutting it To change the weed border setting 1 Open a job in GSPPlot The weed bo...

Page 663: ...he Print Order dialog box to display the Substitute Halftones dialog box This dialog box has two tabs one for MAXX 2 printing and the other EDGE or EDGE 2 printing MAXX Tab When the Substitute Halfton...

Page 664: ...al If the halftone dot is smaller than 35 LPI the Non Optimized Halftones Detected dialog box displays The dialog box provides several choices Print With an Optimized Halftone directs GSPPlot to autom...

Page 665: ...halftones when Auto Substitution is turned on If the Non Optimized Halftones Detected dialog box does not appear you turned on Don t Show This Message Again in the Non Optimized Halftones Detected di...

Page 666: ...printed vinyl which allows the vinyl color to show through If you change the spot colors to process colors and turn on registration problems are reduced To optimize the print registration of black 1 T...

Page 667: ...ting of panels Creating panels You can create panels in a job for ease of handling by adding cutlines even if other cutlines already exist There are two methods for adding cutlines Use the rulers to a...

Page 668: ...cutlines Note You cannot reposition a cutline so that the resulting panel will exceed the cutting height for the plotter or printer You can not remove a cutline that is required to process the job To...

Page 669: ...r Panel Number X dialog box appears It displays the panel s height width and print status Selecting panels to output In the Select Panels to Print Plot group box you can choose one or more panels or t...

Page 670: ...nel to print or plot 1 Click Layout Panels to open the Panel Setup dialog box 2 There are two methods to choose a panel In the Select Panels to Print Plot box enter the panel number to output in the P...

Page 671: ...els In the Select Panels to Print Plot box enter the panel numbers separated by commas 1 2 3 in the Panels text box OR Click the panels you do not want to output The panels become deselected 3 Click O...

Page 672: ...where panels meet in a multi panel job it may be a good idea to turn on the Flip Panels check box When checked every other horizontal panel in a multi panel job is printed upside down This may provide...

Page 673: ...Full View Full view Producing a job without gaps between panels Jobs that are paneled must be assembled on a substrate to create a complete image Adding an overlap to the panels ensures that they wil...

Page 674: ...lly added with printed panels Trap width can be adjusted from 0 05 to 1 0 inches 1 27 mm to 25 4 mm Printed panels processed with traps but without overlaps are butt registered when assembling the job...

Page 675: ...ut Axis Swap The icon changes to reflect the rotation setting Rotate off Rotate on 2 Click Layout Axis Swap to return the image to its original orientation Saving vinyl by positioning the job when plo...

Page 676: ...measurements must fall within the cutting height of the chosen plotter Y values beyond the limit of the cutting height are not accepted 5 Click Continue Tip When cutting a narrow job turn on the weed...

Page 677: ...upport Rewinding the material after printing Choose the left or right location in the Printer End group box to set whether or not the material rewinds after printing The left radio button sets the pri...

Page 678: ...n printing a job with panels CAUTION When printing multiple jobs on the same piece of vinyl print all the jobs first and then cut the jobs Running cut vinyl through a printer a second time will cause...

Page 679: ...job Reduce Frame Off plots shapes in their final position making it easy to register the job when assembling it To turn on Reduce Frame to conserve vinyl Click Layout Reduce Frame to toggle between R...

Page 680: ...uch as repeated labels Activating Conserve Foil will not raise the printhead and stop the foil movement between such closely spaced objects The thermal printer requires a small amount of foil to ensur...

Page 681: ...ttings The foil setting information allows you to see how the foils are being used within the job The order in which the foils are displayed is the order in which they will be printed T Target foil A...

Page 682: ...up Print Options 2 The Foil Color list box displays the foils that have been assigned a Target Overprint Primer Spectratone Double Print IPM or Usage To double print a foil 1 Click Setup Print Options...

Page 683: ...ze Pre shuffle to determine if there is enough material Change the settings of a plotter Calibrate a plotter to a printer Installing a plotter or printer Install plotters and printers during the softw...

Page 684: ...you want to select is not listed in the Plotters list you must install it Review the section Installing a new plotter or printer To choose a remote printer 1 Click Setup Device Select to open the Plo...

Page 685: ...olution print mode for the EDGE 2 and GERBER EDGE FX Print speed is up to 1 2 inch per second Use this mode for labels screen prints or wherever high resolution or a well defined edge is required When...

Page 686: ...conflict is detected turn on Do not prompt in the future Viewing material and foil compatibility Right click the GSPTray icon and choose Device Firing Information to view the material and foil combina...

Page 687: ...rompts in the Plotter Settings dialog box Adjusting plotter speed The Speed setting controls the movement of the plotter tool and the material In Plotter Settings adjust the plotter speed to accommoda...

Page 688: ...ckly A low acceleration setting causes the material and plotter tool to move with smooth even motions To adjust the Acceleration setting drag the slider bar up to increase plotter acceleration and dow...

Page 689: ...the Force slider bar Several factors affect tool force and can require changes in settings Blades must be properly installed and adjusted in the tool holder Different materials require adjustments in...

Page 690: ...offset Adjusting a plotter to produce well formed square corners ensures high quality cutting and easy weeding Modify the roundness of corners in the Plotter Settings dialog box Adjust a plotter to cu...

Page 691: ...e Cut several test squares and examine the samples to determine the need for corner adjustment To adjust corner settings 1 Click Setup Device Select to open the Plotter Printer Select dialog box 2 Cho...

Page 692: ...b that will be hand painted The tool is driven vertically into the paper and then moved horizontally to make a small rip The plotter controls the size of the rip Down Percentage and the Pattern Length...

Page 693: ...the Pattern name list if you wish to create your own pounce pattern 6 Enter a measurement in the Pattern Length text box to set the span of the pattern measured in mils 7 Enter a percentage in the Dow...

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Page 695: ...heet to complete the job by slewing the vinyl to the limits of the job If there is enough vinyl the plotter will rewind the vinyl and cut the job To Pre Shuffle vinyl 1 Click Setup Device Select to op...

Page 696: ...ng to reorganize the order in which shapes are plotted When Sequence Plotting is enabled the system plots shapes from left to right To set Sequence Plotting Click Layout Sequence Plot Cutting a job wi...

Page 697: ...As Separations 4 Turn on Pause Between Separations to stop the plotter after cutting each color to allow you to change the vinyl 5 Click OK Plotting existing spool files Spool files are jobs that have...

Page 698: ...there is more than one 3 Turn on Double Cut 4 Click OK to return to GSPPlot Sending the job to a plotter When cutting a job out of vinyl or pouncing a job on paper GSPPlot sends all the cut and print...

Page 699: ...Pounce To pen plot a job Click File Pen Plot To pen plot a paneled job without cutlines 1 Click Layout Panels to open the Panel Setup dialog box 2 Turn off Cutlines 3 Click OK to return to the active...

Page 700: ......

Page 701: ...eds no further refinement in GSPPlot can be sent immediately to the vinyl printer To send the job to the printer Click File Print to Device The job will be sent to the default vinyl printer Note To ch...

Page 702: ...inting existing spool files Spool files are pre rendered jobs that cannot be edited Refer to Managing Files in GSPPlot for more information about spool files To print existing spool files 1 Click File...

Page 703: ...mulate the original vinyl or spot color When Print as Process is turned on all assigned cutlines are removed you must turn on Keep Cuts top preserve cut attributes Note Print as Process produces a clo...

Page 704: ...og box If you are working with layers the Backing Finish settings apply to the entire job As the default setting Backing White is applied to process colors only Turn off Process Color Only to apply Ba...

Page 705: ...Strokes to apply Backing White foil to any clear strokes or fills Turn off this option so Backing White is not applied to clear objects allowing the vinyl to show through When paneling or repeating jo...

Page 706: ...DPI mode when printing to a GERBER EDGE 2 or EDGE FX If xx appears in the IPM column of the Foil color list your EDGE 2 or GERBER EDGE FX is in 600 x 300 DPI Print Mode and Backing White will not pri...

Page 707: ...ob from scratches Matte Clear foil coats the job to reduce gloss and also protects against scratches There are several choices on how the finishing foil is applied Print Shapes applies the finishing f...

Page 708: ...ar fills or strokes which extend beyond the printed area may have their print limits recalculated when a finishing foil is applied to the clear fill or stroke The application of a finishing foil chang...

Page 709: ...objects with radial and linear fills to solid color This may not be desirable under a halftone Global Prime primes multiple objects at the same time For instance if there are four foil colors which r...

Page 710: ...ck stroke that is assigned an overprint you will have two heat settings such as Normal Hot The first heat setting applies to the first pass of the foil and the second applies to the second pass When y...

Page 711: ...ayed Double Hit White foil on the MAXX When printing to a Gerber MAXX you have the option of double printing white foil to maximize its opacity before moving the vinyl This option only applies to MAXX...

Page 712: ...display and print dimensions in the job 3 Click Continue to return to GSPPlot Depending on the job adding dimensions may require panel recalculation Tip You must turn on View Show All or View Show Pr...

Page 713: ...ters note which plotter is calibrated to which printer when choosing the printer and plotter for a job A calibrated system is indicated by an asterisk in the Calibration column of the Plotter Printer...

Page 714: ...lign the printed test pattern in the chosen plotter 12 Click File Cut Pounce The plotter will cut a frame around the edge of the calibration pattern Use the test pattern to determine the need for plot...

Page 715: ...re calibration Click Cancel 5 If the number and letter identify different bars the plotter requires calibration Refer to To calibrate a plotter to a printer for more information CAUTION If there is no...

Page 716: ...me 5 Click OK Note Once you calibrate a plotter reopen the Calibrate Plotter dialog box You will find that the system moves the lettered bar as close as possible to the center of the calibration patte...

Page 717: ...gistration When processing a print and cut job that does not use sprockets to feed the vinyl multiple targets are necessary Using multiple targets compensates for misaligned vinyl and minimizes errors...

Page 718: ...s Process Magenta Lemon Yellow Transparent Yellow Sunflower Yellow Silver Medal Champagne Gold Process Yellow and White If the darkest foil in your job is one of these foils check Print targets using...

Page 719: ...asier to align the plotter to the top targets The procedure for aligning the targets varies depending on the plotter you are using to cut your print It also varies on the number of targets that you ch...

Page 720: ...pears after a job is sent to the plotter To make it easier to align the targets use the Illuminated Target Locator It is a good idea to install the Illuminated Target Locator before sending a job to t...

Page 721: ...better for your system After adjusting your settings use the control pad on the ODYSSEY plotter to align the targets To set options for the ODYSSEY plotter 1 Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA GQMgr to o...

Page 722: ...Target Configuration dialog box To print Graphtec Type 2 right angle targets 1 Click Setup Print Options to open the Print Options dialog box 2 Click Targets to open the Target Configuration dialog bo...

Page 723: ...he darkest foil in your job for targets In the Targets Configuration dialog box there are two check boxes that print targets using the darkest color in the job or using black foil To change the target...

Page 724: ...on Center on Vinyl in the Layout dialog box to automatically center a job on the vinyl When centering a job with panels each panel is centered on the vinyl The Center on Vinyl option is not available...

Page 725: ...nting or cutting directly from the program to a Gerber thermal printer or plotter To run Gerber Queue Manager Click Start Programs GSP OMEGA GQMgr to open the GQMgr workspace As illustrated the GQMgr...

Page 726: ...tput device open the file to be printed or cut The File command opens SPL files for cutting or printing directly from Gerber Queue Manager This saves time because the SPL file has already been rendere...

Page 727: ...xt to the device name When Pause is used the device may not stop immediately if there is information in the device buffer The device continues operating until the buffer is empty Resume cancels the Pa...

Page 728: ...tion dialog box Removing jobs from Gerber Queue Manager The Terminate command removes one job file or all job files from the Gerber Queue Manager To remove a file from the Gerber Queue Manager 1 In th...

Page 729: ...nt to send next to the output device 2 Click Do Next Tip If a design is currently being output the moved file appears second in line in the queue Viewing plotter properties in GQMgr Right click a plot...

Page 730: ...s and Parallel Port which you can edit or save as a Preference Following are several examples Using GQMgr to manage the MAXX 2 Right click a GERBER MAXX 2 in the list of installed output devices in GQ...

Page 731: ...ess and choose Properties from the context menu The Properties for GerberMAXX2 dialog box provides an Upload button which is a diagnostic tool If you call tech support for help with a MAXX 2 problem t...

Page 732: ...e temp directory 6 Click Build XX mxb The firmware installs As the firmware is installing messages will automatically scroll through the Properties for GerberMAXX2 dialog box When finished the followi...

Page 733: ...rs Chapter 66 Using GSP Tray introduces the Gerber System Tray The primary purpose of GSP Tray is to install hardware such as printers plotters routers and device profiles GSP Tray also provides infor...

Page 734: ......

Page 735: ...tions of GSP Tray It does not cover the following Font Manager see Managing Fonts or for help on Font Manager open Font Manager and press F1 GSP Tray allows you to Check the system identification and...

Page 736: ...method to open the About GSP Tray dialog box In this dialog box you can obtain your system id number as well as register on line and access the Gerber web site To view the Gerber System ID informatio...

Page 737: ...he information you selected is now ready to be pasted into another document Note Because you can t make changes in the Gerber System ID information box Undo Cut Paste and Delete are not available for...

Page 738: ...easurement whether or not you want a wireframe view more than one font on each page or if you want to leave extra space in the left margin for a hole punch To view and or print font titles and file na...

Page 739: ...ighlighted fonts print as the alphabet in upper and lowercase The Font title File name and text are shown at the top of the page Note Printing fonts in filled mode may take a long time and you may enc...

Page 740: ...GQMgr workspace The Queue Manager shows all devices installed in OMEGA For detailed information on the Queue Manager refer to Queue Manager Installing a vinyl printer plotter router or inkjet printer...

Page 741: ...e Gerber Profile Manager they are removed permanently from your system If you want these profiles in the future you must reinstall them from the original Gerber Device Profile CD Installing ICC profil...

Page 742: ...ber Device Profile Manager dialog box The profiles that are available to install display in the Not Installed Information box 6 Select the ICC profiles to load from the Not Installed Information list...

Page 743: ...inters highlighted in the Device s list of the Gerber Device Profile Manager dialog box are available in OMEGA You may select one or more devices from the list using the Windows standard Ctrl click or...

Page 744: ...Profile Manager Removing profiles for equipment that is not in your workflow makes it easier to select the correct profile Note If you delete device profiles using the Gerber Device Profile Manager t...

Page 745: ...t you wish to remove from the Install Information list Use the Windows convention of Shift click or Ctrl click to select multiple profiles 4 Click Uninstall The selected profiles are permanently remov...

Page 746: ...imated printing speed for the EDGE EDGE 2 EDGE FX or MAXX 2 Installing OMEGA Options OMEGA software options such as ART Path AutoCarve or additional foreign language dictionaries are installed using t...

Page 747: ...on networked workstations for remote plotting and printing You must install separate copies of OMEGA software on each workstation in order to access output devices on the network This book is divided...

Page 748: ......

Page 749: ...ftware In order to share fonts and libraries between networked OMEGA systems each system s security key must be secured the same way If they are not you may not be able to share fonts and libraries ba...

Page 750: ...networking software if necessary Connecting and sharing output devices To set up the GSP OMEGA network you ll need to first physically connect the output devices plotters Gerber thermal printers and i...

Page 751: ...ions on that network To connect the output devices for sharing you ll need to Share the Queue folder Create a new Share name gspqueue Map a network drive to the gspqueue folder Setup the output device...

Page 752: ...tart the computer When the computer is restarted repeat the To share the Queue folder procedure from step 1 3 Turn on Share this folder 4 Click New Share to open the New Share dialog box 5 Enter gspqu...

Page 753: ...ialog box Click OK and return to the Permissions for gspqueue dialog box 11 Select the computer that you just added 12 Turn on Full Control and then click OK to return to the Sharing tab of the Queue...

Page 754: ...740 Chapter 67 Setting Up the GSP Network 4 Choose a drive designation and click OK Note For more information on adding devices using Gerber Tray refer to Using GSPTray...

Page 755: ...deleted from the C Queue directory on the remote system These files remain in the directory on the local system where they were created If it finds a pre rendered or a cut only job the job is stored...

Page 756: ...Plot and Gerber Queue Manager 2 On the local system you are sending the job from use GSPPlot to select the output device to which you will send your job 3 Click either the Pen Plot Cut Pounce or Print...

Page 757: ...the job to an output device until it is opened and the operator acknowledges the message by clicking OK To create a message in Gerber Queue Manager 1 In GSPPlot click Setup Job Instructions to open th...

Page 758: ...individual workstations which can then be used for other purposes A dedicated server can also house files such as fonts libraries and jobs When you place these files in a shared directory on the serv...

Page 759: ...g networked systems Make sure you have placed the appropriate files in the correct shared directory on the server and assigned the drives on the workstation to the server Make sure your systems securi...

Page 760: ...746...

Page 761: ...print the job on a Gerber thermal printer You can use the software program to manually match a vinyl GerberColor Spectratone Spectratone II or PANTONE color to another vinyl foil Spectratone or PANTO...

Page 762: ...748 Book 16 Matching Colors with ColorID Chapter 74 CP320 Colorimeter Operations provides a description and directions for using the model CP30 colorimeter...

Page 763: ...uch as a PANTONE color bridge or other printed PANTONE publication to visually match the color In the ColorID program you make PANTONE the Source Palette and use the Source Color drop down list to cho...

Page 764: ...D with a colorimeter to match colors are opening the ColorID program assigning the colorimeter COM port choosing the source of the color choosing the matching palette calibrating the colorimeter takin...

Page 765: ...Color The two material sources of colors the palettes are the vinyls and foils displayed in the drop down list Each source palette contains many colors that ColorID uses to match to the Source Color...

Page 766: ...to display the drop down list 2 Choose the color source that you want to match 3 If you choose a material continue with Choosing a Source Color 4 If you choose CMYK Color or RGB Color the Color Edit d...

Page 767: ...lette The Matching Target Palette is the material that you use to match the Source Color You have three palette choices Foil palettes The most common use of the ColorID program is to match colors for...

Page 768: ...754 Chapter 70 Using ColorID As soon as you make the choice the color matches appear immediately in the display box shown in Selecting the matching color...

Page 769: ...atch has a color rank between 1 and 20 as shown in the lower left corner 1 is the closest match 20 is the least close match In addition to the color match rank ColorID displays the color type such as...

Page 770: ...ric definitions are displayed regardless of the source of the color For example if you are using a colorimeter that measures and defines color as XYZ the ColorID program automatically converts these n...

Page 771: ...ssign Colors dialog box and the palettes Specific features required to use ColorID with these dialog boxes are described in this chapter For additional information including selecting and editing colo...

Page 772: ...ign Colors sample fill box 9 Click OK in the Assign Colors dialog box to assign the color to the selected objects Notes on using ColorID from Composer Now that you understand the basics of opening and...

Page 773: ...matching Spectratone color 1 In Composer open the Assign Colors dialog box In this example we are using a Spectratone fill Choose Solid for the fill and Spot for the Color Type 2 Choose the spot palet...

Page 774: ...in stock but not Intense Blue You have several choices Click another color matching box If you have the colors in stock you can use the alternate color match Change the Matching Target Palette then c...

Page 775: ...matches for that palette appear in the display box If the match does not appear close enough or you are out of the spot foils needed to create the color your choices are to Click another color matchi...

Page 776: ......

Page 777: ...e proper colors in stock to create the match Note You do not have to enter and maintain an inventory if you do not want to In that case ColorID assumes that you have all colors of all materials in sto...

Page 778: ...ed Customizing the inventory Gerber offers an extensive choice of Matching Target Palettes that you can use for matching colors Some of these palettes you may use frequently while others you may never...

Page 779: ...rop down list Choosing the color match criteria ColorID automatically determines the closest color matches to the source color and shows them in the display box The matches and displays are based on f...

Page 780: ...olor Series foil color If the closest color match is a vinyl and you plan to print the job on the EDGE then you should change the Matching Target Palette to a foil such as Spectratone so that ColorID...

Page 781: ...in the color of the matching color boxes If the colors are very light you may not be able to read the color names 5 Click OK to open the GSPPlot program with the chosen number of matching color boxes...

Page 782: ...color 3 Open the Fill Dialog box 4 Choose Spot as the Color Type and Solid as the Fill Type 5 Click the menu button and choose ColorID Match Color to open the program 6 Choose Source Palette Device an...

Page 783: ...r ID dialog box 4 In the Matching Target Profile box choose Gerber 220 Spectratone II 5 Click Inventory to open the Gerber ColorID Spectratone II Inventory Selection dialog box 6 Click Gerber 220 Viny...

Page 784: ...dialog box displays while the custom inventory is built 10 Ensure that Gerber 220 Spectratone II is still chosen in the Matching Target Profile box and click Inventory to reopen the Gerber ColorID Spe...

Page 785: ...Ctrl keys while clicking to select individual foils to include in your custom inventory 14 Click OK The Inventory Update dialog box displays while the custom inventory is built 15 Click OK to return t...

Page 786: ......

Page 787: ...in general For specific information about the Gerber colorimeter see CP320 Colorimeter Operations Note Gerber ColorID supports only Gerber Colorimeters Theory of operation The measuring tube on the s...

Page 788: ...l hours for example even if you do not turn off the colorimeter it is a good idea to calibrate it to the white standard every hour to ensure accurate readings Care of the white standard The white stan...

Page 789: ...ource is not a solid color or has apparent variations such as a wall where part of it is in light and part in shadow you may want to take more than one measurement of the surface To take multiple samp...

Page 790: ......

Page 791: ...other palette is one that you choose to download from the ColorID program the Gerber 220 vinyl palette for example You determine the palette also called the active database by making a choice in the m...

Page 792: ...ut five minutes if you do not use it Push the green start button to turn it on If you have previously taken measurements the last sample and match are displayed in the LCD window To connect charge and...

Page 793: ...tion key At the prompt FOR CALIBRATION PRESS ENTER Press the ENTER function key again The colorimeter is now calibrated and ready for use and the LCD window returns to the previous operational display...

Page 794: ...urce For instance if the color source is not a solid color or has apparent variations such as an ad in a magazine where the color is halftoned you may want to take more than one measurement of the sur...

Page 795: ...sample 80 press and hold the key to scroll backward from 90 to 80 thereby scrolling through only 10 samples instead of 80 Note If the color shown in the sample box in the program is different from th...

Page 796: ...lection and delete all samples from the colorimeter memory UP ARROW function key The UP ARROW function key scrolls upward through the menu options DOWN ARROW function key The DOWN ARROW function key s...

Page 797: ...he choice of loading the entire database into the colorimeter or loading only the colors that you have in inventory as described in Setting up an inventory in Additional ColorID Software Features Load...

Page 798: ...ough the list so that the menu choice symbol is to the left of the word LANGUAGE 2 Press the ENTER function key The list of available languages appears 3 Scroll through the list until the menu choice...

Page 799: ...scroll through the list so that the menu choice symbol is to the left of the word SERVICE 2 Press the ENTER function key The SERVICE submenu appears in the LCD window and consists of the following opt...

Page 800: ...786 Chapter 74 CP320 Colorimeter Operations...

Page 801: ...0 Annotation Dimension tool 161 Arc Line 109 dialog box 109 Area of Objects command 152 Arrange menu Back Front commands 251 Cuts Off 250 Cuts On 250 Delete Cuts 250 Group 141 Print Output Order 70 26...

Page 802: ...103 sizing 93 slanting 94 spacing between 104 spacing in Small Text 87 special 101 superscripting 94 viewing specific 521 Check Error Between Points 435 Choke Spread assigning 260 dialog box 260 Circ...

Page 803: ...measurement tips and techniques 774 measuring tube 774 multiple readings 780 theory of operation 773 using with software 750 white standard 774 Colors wireframe 40 Columns text 96 COM ports 725 Combin...

Page 804: ...247 Cutlines adding or deleting 250 adding to images 361 black and white images 364 check add or remove 250 checking before printing 246 vector shapes 367 Cutlines Plot 653 moving 654 pen plotting wit...

Page 805: ...dialog box 672 732 Device Profile Manager 727 filtering profiles 729 installing profiles 727 removing profiles 730 Device Select command 607 672 Devices installing 726 viewing Gerber installed devices...

Page 806: ...sign time tracking 27 42 Ellipse drawing 120 E mail sending from Composer 599 Embedded image 13 15 exporting 309 importing 274 saving 347 temporary files 49 Emulate OMEGA CS 40 Enable file access logg...

Page 807: ...98 Print Setup 598 Properties 26 Save 23 Save As 23 Scan to Vector 385 Send 599 File menu Plot Cut Existing Spool File 683 Cut Pounce 685 Open 618 Pen Plot 685 Print to Device 687 Printing Existing Sp...

Page 808: ...Flipping shapes and text 136 Foil info 615 Foil Used Color palette 195 Foil Material cominations 672 Foils changing target foil 708 conserving 661 primer 690 printing order changing 263 settings disp...

Page 809: ...iewing and printing Gerber installed fonts 724 viewing in Font Manager 520 Fonts Selected for Printing 92 528 532 534 724 Forced Length 639 Forced fixed length text 510 Frame digitizing 389 Freehand d...

Page 810: ...725 installing 726 Help finding a topic 9 finding previously viewed topics 11 GSPPlot topics 608 OMEGA topics 9 printing topics 11 topics in topic pane 10 Hewlett Packard HGL files exporting 322 Hide...

Page 811: ...dows Metafile WMF 305 multiple files 334 print colors 295 Profiles tab 297 raster formats 280 suppress dialog boxes 275 TIF 281 troubleshooting 335 vinyl only 274 290 294 Importing Layers 72 flatten 7...

Page 812: ...72 layer tree 62 Layer Tree 250 locating 61 Lock unlock all 67 locked 58 merge 47 69 merging 67 621 640 next prior vinyl 620 notes 66 Open dialog box 618 outputting 69 604 outputting by layer 72 parti...

Page 813: ...766 choosing 753 defined 751 foil palettes choice 753 vinyl palettes choice 753 Material displaying usage 667 selecting size 672 Material Foil combinations 672 732 Matrix repeats 501 Matte Clear 693...

Page 814: ...for layers 66 merge 66 Nudge 417 420 O Object Dimension tool 161 Objects See also Shapes area 152 contouring outlines 442 creating curves 435 defined 141 distorting 463 dividing 424 encasing with outl...

Page 815: ...effect of LPI settings 360 proper settings 360 Output view 45 Overlap command 255 effects 482 492 Plot working with panels 659 Overlapping colors 236 254 removing 256 Overprint command 255 Overprintin...

Page 816: ...ts 703 705 multiple vinyls 682 multi spot gradient boost 695 naming a Quick Plot job 605 next vinyl 608 620 non optimized halftones detected 650 opening files 618 opening from Windows 606 Output by La...

Page 817: ...lling 126 radius 124 rotating 125 sharpening stars 125 straightening lines 125 tool 124 types 124 Port settings digitizing tablet 388 Positioning the job Plot 661 Positive separations 641 Posterize di...

Page 818: ...of 264 checking before printing 246 choosing printer output 596 choosing what to print 598 combining and filling groups 251 conserving materials 661 EDGE Match System charts 221 foils as separations 6...

Page 819: ...ng colors 337 Remote defined 726 Remove Text Smart Edit command 110 141 478 Removing points 431 Rename Gerber Font Style dialog box 522 Rename Layer command 67 Reopen Shape Command 131 Repeats directi...

Page 820: ...Select Colors dialog box 682 merge layers 621 output by layers 620 639 Rewind Between Layers 621 Select menu 243 all objects 78 Cancel 79 Clipping Paths 79 248 Cut 246 Cut Print 247 Fills 245 Halfton...

Page 821: ...path 469 478 flipping and mirroring 136 grouping and ungrouping 141 joining open 423 justifying 144 minimizing errors 435 open and closed 130 reopening 131 repeating 501 rotating 137 setting start 429...

Page 822: ...onaries 115 user dictionaries 115 SPL File Information dialog box 713 SPL files creating 617 622 defined 617 existing 688 plotting 683 712 printing 688 712 save print and cut information 626 viewing 6...

Page 823: ...al Support 12 Templates 43 checking before printing 247 defined 359 Text arcing 109 as a path 478 changing case 104 choosing fonts 89 90 91 clipping paths 375 column height 107 108 converting to shape...

Page 824: ...ster to Vector 385 Repeats Merge 501 502 507 Shadow 449 surround shape 122 Thin 431 Trapline 257 Warp 463 464 Tools minimizing travel 682 TOWS arcing text 109 choosing fonts 88 89 91 editing text 103...

Page 825: ...ssigning 187 colors checking before printing 244 conserving 661 default color 52 multiple in jobs 682 order changing 262 pre shuffle 681 selecting alternate 642 usage displaying 667 Vinyl Color comman...

Page 826: ...613 vinyl colors 37 WordPerfect WPG files exporting 331 Work surface sizing to the design 613 X XYZ color spaces 755 Z Zoom Wider Tighter 45 Zooming and Unzooming 38 613 Fit Text to Path 479 Zoom In...

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